PNB Chapter 275 Please Show Mercy
Chapter 275 Please Show Mercy
Chapter 275 Please Show Mercy
Mu Rong knew what Madam Lin was thinking. Seeing her barely perceptible trembling, he nodded and said, "I just happened to be visiting the Princess of Ping'an."
After saying that, he helped Xu Rongrong to sit in the main seat, while he sat next to Xu Rongrong without saying another word.
Mrs. Lin looked up at Xu Rongrong, who was sitting in the upper seat, and said, "This must be the Princess Ping'an, right? This is the first time I've seen her."
A smile of kindness appeared on her pale face.
This is very different from the impression Lin Jiaoyue gives people. She has neither the arrogance of a wealthy family nor the inherent condescending attitude of an elder towards the younger. It is as if an elder from the neighboring family is looking at a younger stranger with a smile on his face, which makes people feel good about her.
Xu Rongrong then stood up and saluted: "I greet Madam Lin safely."
Madam Lin was a first-rank imperial consort and should have accepted the ceremony, but she stood up and avoided it. She reached out and pulled Xu Rongrong over, saying with a smile, "Although the county lady is young, she has a steady demeanor. No wonder His Majesty loves her so much. It's a pity that I wasn't there when she was conferred the title, so I couldn't see her elegance."
As she spoke, the nanny behind her came forward holding a gift box.
Madam Lin took the gift box and handed it to Xu Rongrong. "I heard a few days ago that you were frightened and fell ill in winter. I don't have anything to give you, but fortunately, the Chu family has a thousand-year-old ginseng hidden away. I hope I can use it to calm you down."
Xu Rongrong refused repeatedly upon hearing this: "Ping An is unworthy of such a precious tonic."
"The county lady's illness was caused by those two evildoers in my family. I failed to raise my children well, so I naturally owe them an apology." Madam Lin's blunt words caught Xu Rongrong off guard. She frowned, "What do you mean, Madam Lin?"
Madam Lin revealed a trace of sorrow. "Jiao Jie'er has been spoiled by us. We only taught her the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and military strategy since she was young, but we didn't indulge her willful nature. That's why she has implicated the county lady. Now her appearance is completely ruined, and Ce'er is almost a cripple. It can be said that she has reaped the consequences of her own actions. As a mother, I didn't raise my own child well. This is a dereliction of duty. And for causing harm to innocent people, this is a lack of morality."
"I, Lin Chu, have failed in my duty and have acted immorally, so naturally I have to come and apologize to the county lady and the marquis." As she said this, she lowered her head and was about to bow.
Xu Rongrong quickly reached out to support her: "Madam, there is no need to do this."
Mrs. Lin was so frank and sincere in her apology. Xu Rongrong and Mu Rong exchanged a glance before she slowly said, "This matter is a grudge between Ping'an and Miss Lin, and has nothing to do with you. Miss Lin has repeatedly harmed me and those around me. If we weren't lucky, we would have been reduced to a pile of bones long ago. This grudge cannot be dispelled by a thousand-year-old ginseng or a few words from you. Now that she has been disfigured, she even wants to blame me. I absolutely cannot..." "The county lady misunderstood me." Before Xu Rongrong finished her words, Mrs. Lin said, "I'm not apologizing to ask the county lady for help. How can I have the face to ask the county lady for help when even the imperial physician can't heal my scar?"
Hearing her say this, Xu Rongrong was even more puzzled: "If it weren't for Miss Lin seeking medicine, Madam, why did you come here today..."
Madam Lin's face was filled with bitterness. "I have only acted for myself once in my life, and ended up making a grave mistake. I'm afraid the Chu family will be implicated by me in the future. I only hope to establish a good relationship with the County Lady and the Marquis today. If the Lin family really makes a grave mistake in the future, please forgive them for the sake of the Chu family's innocence."
She spoke so solemnly that Xu Rongrong was at a loss for words. "Madam, you've gone too far. Although Ping'an is a female relative, I've also heard that the person His Majesty relies on most in the court is Minister Lin. Even if there is something wrong, it is His Majesty who makes the final decision. How can Ping'an and the Marquis decide the life and death of the Lin family?"
"There's no need to be so modest, County Lady." Madam Lin smiled faintly. "To be frank, I'm saying this because I've watched the Marquis grow up... When he was young, he fought his way through the military, completely unaware of the perils of the court. However, over the past year, I've sensed that he's become much less naive than he was in his youth. Now, there's a calm and commanding presence in his every move... Furthermore, with the Crown Prince deposed, the Second Prince overthrown, and the Third Prince about to return to court after a successful career, the Marquis will undoubtedly be a pillar of power in the new court. Naturally, I'm putting my face on the line and asking for your help."
Her words made Mu Rong subconsciously look at Xu Rongrong beside him, fearing that Mrs. Lin had aroused her suspicion.
Fortunately, the young woman didn't become suspicious after hearing what she said. She just said gently, "Even if it's as Madam said, you just said it for the Chu family. What about Young Master and Miss Lin? You don't even consider them?"
"They...are protected by their father." Madam Lin smiled faintly. "You reap what you sow. I'm afraid I can't do anything about it."
After saying this, she pleaded again, "I wonder if the County Lady and the Marquis can agree to my request?" Xu Rongrong glanced at Mu Rong, but seeing that he didn't react, she nodded, "Madam, don't worry. The Chu family has no grudges against us, so we won't get involved."
Mrs. Lin seemed relieved when she heard this: "In that case, I would like to thank the county lady and the marquis first."
She had achieved the purpose of her trip, and as the sun was about to set, she said goodbye and left without lingering any longer.
Mrs. Lin sat in the sedan chair with her eyes closed. The swaying movement made her feel as if she was back to the day of her wedding. In the blink of an eye, more than 20 years had passed.
At that time, her heart was full of infinite longing, and she imagined living in harmony with the one she loved and growing old together.
But her dream was soon shattered. When she had just given birth to her eldest son, she heard from the servants that Lin Zhihen had not had a good rest for several days. So, despite her frail body, she personally stewed a soup and sent it to the front yard. Unexpectedly, she saw Lin Zhihen entangled with a woman. The woman knelt on the ground and begged for something. Seeing her arrival, both of them were startled. She was simple-minded and did not think much about it. After a moment of panic, Lin Zhihen said that the woman was a distant cousin who came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives. He was just a small minister now and could not afford to support her. At that time, she and Lin Zhihen were in love. Seeing his hesitation, she decided to keep the Qin woman.
But within a week, the Qin girl left without saying goodbye, and she didn't take it to heart until she saw the Qin girl's body when she was out for a walk with her handkerchief friend. She was horrified and went back home to tell Lin Zhihen, but she saw him scolding his subordinates for not doing their job well and failing to hide the Qin girl's body!
Only then did she realize that all the talk about being a distant cousin and coming to live with her relatives was a lie!
Qin's daughter was not only Lin Zhihen's childhood sweetheart, but also secretly engaged to him. However, in order to climb to a higher position, he abandoned Qin's daughter and proposed to marry himself.
That day, she was extremely desperate...