Chapter 24: Continuing the Deception

Old Madam Lin’s eldest daughter, Lin Aomei, the wife of the Marquis of Changping, was squeezed into the crowd. She wiped away tears incessantly, weeping so heart-wrenchingly that she appeared near collapse, gasping for breath and swaying unsteadily, supported only by two maidservants. Beside her stood her two beautiful daughters, who also wore expressions of stifled sobs, appearing delicate, well-behaved, and pitiful.

These three women inherited the filthy bloodline of the Lin family, as well as their cruelty and selfishness. In her past life, they had colluded with the rest of the Lin clan, relentlessly hounding Lin Pianran and her servants, driving them into a corner and forcing them into a desperate abyss. They were nothing but a pack of sinister, despicable, and heartless villains.

Seeing these enemies from her previous life, the hatred in Lin Pianran’s eyes surged, and the icy murderous intent was nearly impossible to conceal. She blinked her reddened eyes hard, forcing herself to maintain composure until her emotions slowly leveled off. She gazed indifferently at the scene before her and the people bustling about, yet her heart felt immensely gratified. As long as the Lin family suffered, she was happy! Watching their pain and agony, a charming smile played upon her lips.

At that moment, Huanxue approached and deliberately raised her voice, saying, "Miss, a golden butterfly hairpin was discovered in Old Madam Lin’s room. It has been confirmed as the favorite hairpin of the Eldest Miss. There was dried blood on it, which has been verified as the Old Madam’s. That hairpin has been identified as the murder weapon."

"However, when the authorities questioned the Eldest Miss just now, she claimed that the hairpin had gone missing last night. She insisted that she had always respected and honored her grandmother, and that her grandmother doted on her, making it impossible for her to kill her own kin. She claimed she had no motive and has consistently denied any connection to the Old Madam’s death. Furthermore, she stated that because she had been bitten by snakes, she was physically incapable of committing murder. Currently, the authorities are still investigating and cannot definitively confirm whether the Eldest Miss is linked to the Old Madam’s death."

Many people standing near Lin Pianran pricked up their ears, listening intently to the conversation between the mistress and her servant, eager to satisfy their thirst for gossip. Lin Pianran feigned astonishment and muttered softly, "Actually, the Eldest Sister’s suspicion is quite strong. That hairpin of hers is one of a kind; no one else has one. That is the first point."

"Secondly, it is entirely possible that she committed the murder first and was bitten by the snakes afterward."

"Can't the coroner determine the time of death? If they compare it with the time the Eldest Sister was bitten, they might be able to narrow down the timeline and perhaps reduce the suspicion against her."

"Even if she were bitten first, it wouldn't fully clear her. Couldn't she have ordered someone else to do it?"

"Also, one could investigate the origin of those snakes; perhaps that would lead to a breakthrough. If one commits such a deed, there will always be some traces left behind."

She spoke in a tone neither too loud nor too soft, ensuring everyone around could hear clearly. After speaking, she pretended to have made a slip of the tongue and quickly covered her mouth. Both mistress and maid were masters of acting; they quickly retreated into a corner, daring not to say another word, like two startled rabbits.

However, their conversation spread like a gust of wind, quickly sweeping through every corner of the various courtyards in the encampment. The authorities naturally caught wind of it as well. Upon hearing these words, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice smiled with an intrigued look in his eyes. This adopted daughter was truly interesting!

Although Lin Chuyao had been severely poisoned by the snakes and was unable to leave her bed, the authorities had stationed two guards outside her quarters, keeping her under strict watch as a suspect. It was said that although Lin Chuyao had regained consciousness and the two types of snake venom had been neutralized, she was left with many wounds. One wound was on her cheek, another on her neck, and several more were scattered across her body, with deep bites even on her thighs.

Hearing that Lin Chuyao’s thighs were the most severely bitten, Lin Pianran covered her mouth and chuckled. It seemed the snakes she had tucked into Lin Chuyao’s bedding had been quite effective—they had truly lived up to expectations.

Soon, however, another piece of news emerged. Several noblewomen were gathered near Lin Pianran, whispering among themselves. One woman, her face filled with excited gossip, asked, "Did you know another major event happened last night?"

Curiosity piqued, the others asked in unison, "What happened?"

The woman cleared her throat and said, "Huo Feng, the Sixth Young Master of the Jing Prince's Mansion, was caught in an illicit affair with the younger half-sister of his own fiancée last night."

She paused, then continued, "Who would have thought that while they were caught in the heat of passion, they accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, sparking a fire that burned down the entire courtyard?"

"What happened to them? Were they burned?" one woman asked impatiently.

"When they were rescued, both were burned!"

"Sixth Young Master Huo Feng’s injuries are not too severe; only one arm is badly burned, and there is a burn on his face. But that little half-sister from the General’s Mansion had half her body scorched, and her face is disfigured. I heard she is burned beyond recognition."

"Alas, she was so young and beautiful. What a pity!"

"What is there to pity? She is just a cheap hussy who knows how to seduce men!" another woman retorted indignantly. "Knowing full well he was her own sister’s fiancé, she still threw herself at him. I don’t think she deserves a shred of sympathy!"

"It would have been better if she had just burned to death!"

"Exactly. Living like this, she will be condemned by everyone, her reputation ruined, and her face disfigured. How could the General’s Mansion possibly tolerate her?" another woman added. "I suspect this girl has only two paths left: either death, or spending the rest of her life in a convent with nothing but incense and Buddha statues. Marriage is absolutely out of the question! Her life is effectively ruined."

"But, if they were in the same bed, why was the woman so much more severely injured?" one woman asked.

"Perhaps the Sixth Young Master was just lucky!"

"Lucky? It is said that the Sixth Young Master was the first to notice the fire and, without a second thought, abandoned the girl and fled for his life..."

"That’s why! A man’s claims of deep affection and care when in bed are nothing but empty words! When danger strikes, they run faster than rabbits. Such men are unreliable and should never be married."

The women continued to tear into the scoundrel and the hussy for quite some time until they had finally vented their emotions. Lin Pianran stood nearby, listening intently, feeling refreshed and thoroughly entertained. She then pulled Huanxue and Tianzhu aside and instructed them, "Take the news we just heard and spread it everywhere, making sure to add plenty of embellishments!"