~~~
Yin Tianxing carefully put Cheng Mu in the carriage, and then said to Yue Rushuang: "I have to go back again. You should go to the prefect now and tell him that the matter has been resolved. Brother Liu and I still need to handle the follow-up matters. Let's go back I told him to stay at home and not go anywhere!"
"good!"
"After you're done, go back to Li's Mansion and wait for me!"
"Um!"
There were still many things that Yue Rushuang didn't understand, but it was not appropriate to ask more questions now. Tian Xing would definitely tell him everything when he returned to Li's Mansion.
After he left, Yin Tianxing ordered Tianxun and Zheng Zhen: "Follow the carriage back to the house, take Dr. Cheng back to my room and wait for me there. You are not allowed to go anywhere before I go back. If others ask, it won't matter." Don’t say anything!”
"Okay!" Yin Tianxun and Zheng Zhen agreed obediently and did not dare to ask more about the reason.
After Yin Tianxing finished explaining, he returned along the original road. He was worried about Liu Shaopu, and he had promised to bring Liu Shaopu safely back to Xijing City.
~~~
Lin Zai finally woke up.
She got up hurriedly, why did she sleep for so long? And has it already passed noon?
Sheng'er is not here, has she gone back?
She saw a letter on the pillow, and Lin Zai opened it in a hurry. Her hands were trembling. In the end, she didn't care to read the letter and prepared to go directly to Sheng'er.
"Where are you going?" someone suddenly asked.
"Foster mother?" Lin Zai looked at her in surprise, "Why are you here?"
"I asked you where are you going?" This was the first time Lin Ran spoke to Lin Zai with a calm face.
Lin Zai didn't answer immediately.
Her adoptive father and mother knew that she and her eldest brother had founded Tianji together, but they did not stop it. There were some things that the government should not intervene in, but no one expected that Tianji would have such a big influence now.
Lin Zai understood why the imperial court was afraid of Tianji, but Tianji was not as people imagined. It really only had six people, and now they had lost an important partner.
His adoptive father and mother worked very hard every day, and Lin Zai didn't want them to worry, so he never said anything about receiving the letter.
She didn't plan to tell her adoptive mother the truth. In short, she couldn't cause trouble for them anymore because of herself.
"Azai?" Lin Ran called again.
Lin Zai didn't dare to look into her adoptive mother's eyes. She deliberately looked towards the door, trying to calm herself down, "It's nothing, I just went out to do something!"
"What's up?"
"It's not a big deal!"
Lin Ran sighed, this stupid kid still refused to tell the truth to him until now.
"I'll accompany you!"
"No," Lin Zai hurriedly refused, "Foster mother, I will be back soon!"
"How long are you going to lie to me?" Lin Ran asked disappointedly.
Lin Zai looked at her blankly, not knowing how to answer.
"You plan to leave the city to find Sheng'er, right?"
"How do you know?" Lin Zai asked in surprise.
She looked at the letter on the bed. Could it be that her adoptive mother had already read it?
"I haven't moved." Lin Ran knew what she was thinking and said softly.
"Then how do you know?"
Lin Ran looked deeply at his daughter and said distressedly: "Tian Xing told me, Ah Zai, why are you so stupid!"
Lin Zai was shocked, "Brother, have you already been told?"
Lin Ran nodded, "He is in that place with Young Master Liu now. Before Tian Xing left, he specifically asked me to make sure I take good care of you!"
Originally, he was going to the military camp with Ao this morning, but Tianxing suddenly stopped him. He said that Ao was sick and hoped that she could stay and take care of Ao.
Lin Ran would definitely not refuse. They went to Azai's room together, and then Tianxing told her the truth.
No wonder Ah Zai was a little unusual yesterday. During dinner, she repeatedly told herself and Ao to eat well and rest well so as not to tire out their bodies.
It turns out that she already had thoughts of death.
Lin Ran would never allow Ah Zai to do stupid things. As for Sheng'er, she felt very sad. It was such a pity for such a good child!
"What on earth is going on? Brother already knew that Sheng'er replaced me? And why did Mr. Liu go? Then wouldn't he think Sheng'er was Ling Yuan? No, I can't let him misunderstand, I will do it now Go find them!"
It was the first time that Lin Ran saw her daughter so excited. She stopped Ah Zai and her tone was even harsher than before, "Do you want Sheng'er to die in vain?"
Lin Zai opened his eyes wide, "Death? How could she die? Sheng'er will never die, she will be fine, she will!"
Although she said this, Lin knew better than anyone in her heart that Sheng'er was probably gone, otherwise she wouldn't have written that letter!
After being adopted by his adoptive father and mother, Lin Zai had almost never shed a tear. There were only three exceptions in so many years, once when the princess died, once when Granny Cui died, and once when Brother Cheng died.
Today there is another exception.
"Sheng'er is just like you. She was determined to die when she decided to do this."
Lin Zai suddenly knelt down and said, "I want to see her, stepmother, please let me see her!"
Lin Ran knelt down. Seeing Ah Zai's body shaking, she couldn't help but shed tears. "No, do you really want Xiao Cheng and Sheng'er to die in vain? They did this just to keep you alive." Choice, if you make a fool of yourself, how can you be worthy of them?"
"I understand the truth, but I am my adoptive mother. I killed them, and my mother. She died of exhaustion because of me. Without me, they would not be like this at all. I am really in pain. , I want to atone for my sins, but I can’t do it as if nothing happened, maybe I really am an unknown person, and if I die, no one will die because of me!”
This is the first time Lin Zai has confided his feelings in front of others.
She was really afraid that someone else would die because of her. If that happened, it would be better to die early!
She must never harm her adoptive father, adoptive mother, eldest brother, eldest brother-in-law...!
Lin Ran became increasingly sad. She was such a failure as a mother that she didn't even notice that her daughter had such thoughts.
"I'm sorry!" She gently wiped away the tears on Ah Zai's face, but soon her cheeks became wet again.
"Foster mother?" Lin Zai didn't understand why she suddenly apologized to him.
"I must be terrible as a mother. I was too careless and never took care of your emotions. If I had cared more about you, you wouldn't think this way, Ah Zai..."
Lin Zai interrupted hastily: "That's not what I meant. I just think that my birth was a mistake. Without me, my mother, brother Cheng, and Sheng'er would be fine. You and your adoptive father don't have to worry about me anymore." !”
"Don't you still regard this place as your home?" Lin Ran asked quietly.
"I'm not…"
"Azai, family members have to worry about each other and trouble each other. This is why home makes people feel warm and attached. When Aao and I are busy with military affairs and have to leave, we will trust our family affairs to him. You never worry that you will find it troublesome, just because we are a family, but now you say such things, mother is really sad! You have always refused to call me mother, and I know I can't replace you. Mother is in your heart, but I really love you as my own daughter. I am never afraid of you trouble me, and I even wish you could trouble me more instead of being polite to me on the surface. Did you know everything?"
Lin Zai looked at her adoptive mother blankly. She had never thought that her adoptive mother would have such thoughts.
"You said that your mother died of exhaustion because of you, but your mother never regarded you as a burden. She tried her best to protect you. In the same way, you are also my most cherished daughter. Your mother can do this for you. I can definitely do it, Ah Zai, if you really want to find Sheng'er, just step over my body!"
Lin Ran added: "You don't have to look at me like this. That's right, I'm just threatening you again. It's up to you to decide what to do!"
Lin Zai lowered her head. She knew that her stepmother was not joking. If she really wanted to go out, she would definitely keep her promise.
"Many people think that Su Ling is a treacherous official who collaborated with the enemy and treason, Su Qingwan," Lin Ran did not call her Azai, "You are Su Ling's daughter, and it is your duty to clear his grievances. You have shied away from it all your life. No, you want to die, so you can let your father die in vain? I know you will think that Tianxing is still there, Ao... Yes, we will help you, but you also know how difficult it is, Then why do you feel so comfortable and trustworthy in leaving this important responsibility to us? Regarding the matter of clearing Su Ling's wrongdoing, finding out the truth about the past, and making those who harmed him receive due punishment, isn't it you, Su Qingwan, who should do the most good?"
Lin Zai hadn't heard anyone call her Su Qingwan for a long time.
Yes, although she has lived under the name Lin Zai for many years, she is not Lin Zai after all!
She is Su Qingwan, Su Ling's daughter. This is a fact that no one can change!
The adoptive mother was right. She was indeed too selfish. She thought that as long as her eldest brother and the others were around, she would not ignore what happened back then. But why did she just let go and leave all this to them?
"Think about your mother. The emperor gave her a chance not to work as a coolie at the border. As long as she is willing to admit Su Ling's crime, you two can continue to stay in the capital and no one will make things difficult for you! But your mother She doesn't have any heartbeat. She loves you so much and naturally doesn't want you to suffer along with her, but she knows better that Su Ling will never do that kind of thing! Su Ling was already dead at that time, and she could have just resigned herself to it. Anyway, she didn't care. No matter what you say, it is difficult to change the reality, but she just refuses. She would rather let you endure hardship to stick to the truth! Su Qingwan, you are their daughter, and you also know that your mother hopes that your father can recover his innocence. Do you really want to Disappoint them?"
Lin was shocked.
That's right, my mother has never regretted bringing her to the West. Although she only told her before she died that she would live well, Lin Zai understood that her mother's biggest wish was for the world to give her father justice!
Although my mother is ordinary, she is more determined than anyone else, so as her daughter, she must persist to the end no matter how difficult it is!
"Your mother died for Su Qingwan, and Xiaocheng and Sheng'er died for Lin Zai. I don't care whether you are Su Qingwan or Lin Zai. I only want you to remember that it is because they died because of you that you must never let them They died in vain!”
