Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 5 Wangshujian

Aunt Mu cried for a full quarter of an hour before she gradually stopped.

Lin Zhiqing wanted to offer some words of comfort, but unexpectedly Aunt Mu took the initiative to hold her hand: "Miss, you must not tell anyone about your amnesia!"

"Those people are eager for your death and will definitely make a big fuss about this matter." Aunt Mu gritted her teeth.

Lin Zhiqing nodded. The Lin family didn't care about her life or death, otherwise they wouldn't have failed to recognize that she had a new core. But now, another thing was more important:

"Aunt Mu, I don't remember anything after I lost my memory. It might be difficult for me to survive these three days."

Aunt Mu helped Lin Zhiqing onto the bed and then staggered to her knees on the ground.

Lin Zhiqing stood up and wanted to help her, but she stopped him with her hand. Her eye sockets were very sunken: "Miss, you must listen carefully to what I say next."

Her eyes glanced out from time to time, and her body leaned forward slightly, as if she was observing the surrounding environment or being wary of someone.

After confirming that there was no "threat," she exhaled, squinted her eyes, and began to recall: "It has been over a thousand years since the establishment of the Great Sheng Dynasty..."

Emperor Gaozu conquered his empire on horseback, so he valued military officials over civil officials. Military officers were respected throughout the Great Sheng Dynasty.

The Lin family has produced many top scholars in their ancestors, and they have always practiced literature.

It was not until the old marquis gave up literature and took up military service, defeated the Liang State, which had been hostile to Dasheng for hundreds of years, and was granted the title of Marquis of Changning, that the status of the Lin family began to rise.

However, what goes up must come down.

The old marquis was injured due to years of fighting and could no longer go to the battlefield. In addition, with the gradual rise of young generals such as the Duke of Pei and the Earl of Dingbei, the Lin family's say in the Dasheng Army became much weaker.

It was not until the old marquis's third son, Lin Congrong, came into being that the Lin family was saved from its embarrassing situation.

There are two branches in the Lin family, and the old marquis's branch is prosperous.

He has three sons. The eldest is proficient in housekeeping, the third Lin joins the army and studies martial arts, and the fourth has made great achievements in literature.

The other branch was the old marquis's younger brother, who had only one son, the second son, who was proficient in military tactics.

Lin Congrong was extremely talented and joined the army at the age of fifteen together with the second son of the Lin family.

In the same year, he made the first contribution when he followed the Duke of Pei to attack the Wala in the south, and became a new upstart in Shengjing, and the enemy was terrified at the mere mention of him.

All the young ladies waiting to get married in Shengjing extended olive branches to Lin Congrong, and even the princess was fond of him.

However, Lin Congrong married a commoner woman with great fanfare and asked for an imperial decree for her.

Five years ago, in a war against the State of Daliang, a team led by Lin Congrong was wiped out and disappeared without a trace.

The Lin family had no choice but to build a cenotaph for him.

But a year later, Lin Congrong returned to Dasheng with the heads of enemy generals.

The current emperor was very pleased and made an exception to grant Lin Congrong the title of "Marquis of Wangshu".

The military general system of Dasheng was unique, with military generals' official positions divided into duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and peer.

Moreover, the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty stipulated that only one person could be born from a family to be a marquis or earl.

The Lin family has two marquises in one family, how glorious it is.

However, a disaster struck out of nowhere.

At the enthronement ceremony of Marquis Wangshu, the Chief Censor suddenly reported Lin Congrong for treason and produced the letters between Lin Congrong and the enemy.

When the family was about to collapse, the eldest master of the Lin family sacrificed his own brother's life in exchange for the safety of the other members of the Lin family.

After Lin Congrong died, his wife committed suicide in the house, and the Lin family's fortune took a sharp turn for the worse.

Having said that, Aunt Mu sighed and hunched over as she groped under the bed.

After a while, she handed a brocade box to Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing seemed to have sensed something, and after taking the brocade box, he opened it.

Unexpectedly, there was a palm-sized bronze mirror lying alone inside.

"This Marquis Wangshu is my father?" Lin Zhiqing picked up the bronze mirror while speaking.

Aunt Mu nodded: "Yes, Miss, your father is Lin Congrong."

"This bronze mirror is the relic he and his wife left for you. It's called Wangshu."

In ancient times, mirrors were called "jian".

Wangshu means the moon. Lin Zhiqing tightened his grip.

That being said, this bronze mirror is indeed very meaningful to its original owner.

She turned the mirror over and her fair skin came into view.

Lin Zhiqing couldn't help but stroke her cheek. It was a very beautiful face.

There was almost no flaw on her face, and her willow-shaped eyebrows added a touch of fragility to her face, but this fragility was neutralized by her eyes as clear as autumn water.

Judging from her appearance alone, the original owner was indeed as graceful and gentle as the moon, and had a bit of coldness when she wasn't smiling.

I think the original owner's parents must be good-looking, which is why the original owner has such a breathtaking face.

In addition, Lin Zhiqing was a little surprised. She originally thought that the bronze mirror was dim and blurry and could not clearly reflect people's faces.

But this bronze mirror is extremely clear, even the lines on the skin can be seen clearly.

In addition, it is small and exquisite, with the mirror body inlaid with gold wire, which is shaped into a flower, and the workmanship is very fine.

Aunt Mu saw Lin Zhiqing stroking the mirror, her eyes filled with nostalgia. "This mirror was obtained by your father when he defeated the enemy on the battlefield for the first time. The Fourth Master has been asking for it for a long time, but the Master has never given it to him."

"He gave this mirror to the lady, and she left it to you."

Lin Zhiqing gripped the mirror tightly: "My fourth uncle?"

As he spoke, the candle wick crackled and exploded.

Aunt Mu picked up the scissors, and as she fiddled with them, the candlelight flickered.

"That's right. The Fourth Master has a very handsome appearance, but he's not very slovenly. He's the only one in the Lin family who's a civil servant. He's been busy with the flood in the east of the city lately and hasn't been seen in public."

"Master Lin Congli, as his name suggests, is extremely respectful of rules and etiquette. He has only one daughter, your cousin Lin Yangyang."

Lin Zhiqing nodded thoughtfully and put the bronze mirror away. "What about my father? Isn't treason a grave crime punishable by the entire clan? How could the Lin family not investigate the truth and clear my father's name?"

"Everyone in the Lin family is a coward. They are afraid that the truth is out of their control, so they let Lin Congli sacrifice his own family for the sake of justice and abandon your father." Aunt Mu covered her chest tightly with her hands, and seemed to have used up all her strength when she spoke.

Lin Zhiqing clenched the quilt tightly in his hands. The original owner's life experience was so miserable.

Regardless of whether his father really collaborated with the enemy and betrayed his country, the original owner's position in the Lin family was very delicate.

Her parents are both dead, she is all alone and helpless, and she is the descendant of a criminal. Each label has destined her to be isolated and helpless.

However, these have become established facts and cannot be changed.

Lin Zhiqing quickly digested the information and asked another question:

"Aunt Mu, is Jiang Liuyun my fiancé?"

When Jiang Liuyun was mentioned, Aunt Mu's mood calmed down, and she curled her lips for a rare moment:

"That's right. Prince Jiang's father, Marquis Zhenyuan, was of humble origins. He once served as a deputy general under your father. The two of them treated each other like brothers, and you and Prince Jiang were engaged when you were still infants."

"Marquis Zhenyuan is a good man. He didn't cancel the engagement and distance himself from your father's misfortune. Instead, he took good care of you."

"Because of the favor of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, the people of the Lin family have never treated you unfairly."

Lin Zhiqing nodded slowly. He hadn't treated her unfairly in public, but what about in secret?
Aunt Mu didn't need to tell her anything. She just took one look at the shabby decoration in the room and knew that the original owner was not treated well.

However... Lin Zhiqing's eyes fell on the swords hanging on the cabinet.

Could the original owner actually know martial arts?
Noticing Lin Zhiqing's gaze, Aunt Mu sighed slightly: "Those things were sent by Miss Yangyang."

"Miss Yangyang has always felt guilty about your father's affairs, but she is simple-minded and only knows how to wield swords and spears. Whenever she finds a good sword, she sends it here."

"But what's the use of that? It's not as practical as a few quilts or a few copper coins."

After she finished speaking, she was afraid that Lin Zhiqing would misunderstand, so she quickly waved her hand: "Although the things Miss Yangyang gave her are useless, she has a good heart and often teaches those who bully you a lesson."

"Miss, I believe you will not harm Miss Yangyang." Aunt Mu's eyes were firm.

Lin Zhiqing curled his lips: "Of course I won't."

Aunt Mu's words did allow Lin Zhiqing to understand the basic situation, but she would not believe them completely.

The human heart is unpredictable. Who knows who is a good person and who is a bad person before experiencing it personally?
Next, Aunt Mu told Lin Zhiqing all the information she knew in a fragmented manner.

The two of them stayed awake all night.

(End of this chapter)