CH 6

Chapter 6: The Empress is great, be less greedy in the future!

Ten minutes later, Yao Zheng finished treating the wound.

Fortunately, the snake was not venomous, otherwise they would not have been safe and sound. However, the other party still looked angrily at Lin Beifan, “Lin Beifan, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

Lin Beifan was very aggrieved, “It was you who told me to shut up!”

Yao Zheng was speechless and tried to defend himself, “Then why didn’t you say it earlier? You were hesitant and deliberately trying to harm me?”

Lin Beifan became even more aggrieved, “How could I say it? I was afraid of disturbing Her Majesty’s ride. Snakes are disgusting creatures, and if they frightened Her Majesty, it would not have been good. That’s why I didn’t dare to say anything or let you dig it up!”

Yao Zheng was speechless once again.

The Empress held back her laughter and said, “Alright, let’s just forget about this incident. Sir Lin was also considerate of me, so he didn’t say anything. Sir Yao was also vigilant in his duties as an inspector, so he fell victim to this poisonous snake. Neither of you were at fault.”

“What Your Majesty said is absolutely true!” Lin Beifan immediately nodded in agreement.

Yao Zheng was extremely aggrieved in his heart.

So, did I just waste my breath?

It was obviously this bastard’s trickery that made me fall for his trap!

This guy is not fit to be a human being!

I’m already so old, and he still deceived me!

Am I easy to deal with?

“Since nothing has been found, Sir Lin should be innocent. Let’s go back to the palace!” The Empress waved her hand.

“Wait a moment, Your Majesty. I still have something to say!” Yao Zheng called out.

“Sir Yao, what else do you have to say?”

Yao Zheng glared at Lin Beifan fiercely and respectfully said, “Your Majesty, even though no evidence has been found, it does not prove Lin Beifan’s innocence! I have already invited the people who accompanied him on the house search yesterday, and they can testify to what I have said!”

A group of trembling people came forward.

These people were the ones who accompanied Lin Beifan on the house search yesterday.

“Greetings, Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!” they said while trembling.

“No need for formalities! Tell me what happened!” The Empress ordered.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

They spoke in detail about what happened yesterday. The empress looked at Lin Beifan with a smile that was not quite a smile and asked, “Sir Lin, do you have anything to say?”

Lin Beifan remained very calm and replied, “Your Majesty, they framed and falsely accused me of wrongdoing. They are slandering an honest official.”

The empress asked with a meaningful smile, “Why do you say that?”

Lin Beifan spoke firmly, “I don’t know why they conspired to accuse and frame me, but as an honest official, I have nothing to fear. If I did not do it, then I did not do it.”

The empress was rolling her eyes in response to his words. She thought to herself, “He’s lying through his teeth, but it sounds so convincing! If it weren’t for knowing his true nature, I would have already ordered his execution!”

Lin Beifan continued, “Furthermore, Your Majesty, I suspect that they have been bribed. If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to search their homes. After the search, the truth will be clear.”

The witnesses became anxious and said, “Please, no!”

The empress narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. Several guards came forward to receive her orders.

“Go and search their homes for me!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” One hour later, the empress looked at the dazzling array of treasures in front of her with a gloomy expression.

The total value of the items confiscated from the witnesses’ homes reached 300,000 taels.

The witnesses had already turned pale and were incessantly kowtowing and pleading for mercy.

“Your Majesty, I was wrong. Please spare my life!”

“Your Majesty, please show mercy and spare me from your punishment!”

Lin Beifan stood resolutely and said, “Your Majesty, look at them! They are all low-ranking officials, yet they are all richer than me! Their wealth far exceeds what they should have earned through their positions. They are a group of corrupt officials. How can their words be trusted? They can harm the interests of the state for their own benefit. Naturally, they can falsely accuse honest officials for their own benefit as well!”

The empress became displeased and said, “Take them away and execute them!”

“Your Majesty, spare my life!”

“Your Majesty!”

No matter how they pleaded, in the end, heads would roll.

Lin Beifan came to Yao Zheng’s side and looked at Yao Zheng, whose face was turning green and white.

He smiled and said, “Sir Yao, is this the witness you invited? Not much of a witness, is it?”

“You!” Yao Zheng’s face turned green with anger.

“It seems that the facts have proven that Sir Lin is indeed innocent!”

The empress smiled and continued, “Moreover, in such a difficult environment, Sir Lin was able to achieve the highest score in the national college entrance examination. I am very pleased!”

“I am unworthy of your praise, Your Majesty,” Lin Beifan quickly replied.

“You are worthy. But as a newly-appointed scholar and a court-appointed official, living here is too shabby and it damages the court’s reputation! How about this, since Former Minister Zuo’s house has been confiscated, I will give you that house. You should move there as soon as possible!” The empress pondered for a moment and said.

Lin Beifan was shocked. He had seen the house before; it was located in the heart of the capital, was large and luxurious, and had a very elegant environment. It could easily accommodate a hundred people!

Such a large house was worth at least 200,000 taels in the valuable land of the capital!

The empress had given him such a good house. She was really too kind to him! Lin Beifan was very moved and vowed to be less greedy in the future.

“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan said loudly. Looking up, he saw envy and jealousy all around him!

“I hope that Sir Lin will stay true to his original aspiration and forge ahead, and not let me down!” The empress said meaningfully.

Lin Beifan declared boldly, “I am willing to serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly and die for Your Majesty!”

The empress applauded and laughed heartily, “Good, good, good! Remember your words! Let’s return to the palace now!”

At this point, Lin Beifan said again, “Your Majesty, since we’re already here, why don’t we stop by Sir Yao’s house and see if we can discover anything unexpected?”

Yao Zheng angrily said, “Lin Beifan, what do you mean?”

Lin Beifan smiled and said, “What do I mean? Sir Yao, you know very well! As the saying goes, ‘Those who associate with the red will be stained with red; those who associate with the black will be stained with black’. You dare to bring a group of corrupt officials to criticize me. Do you dare to say that you have no relationship with them?”

“You!!!” Yao Zheng was furious.

The empress squinted her eyes with a difficult-to-understand expression. Yao Zheng said angrily, “Lin Beifan, don’t slander me! I have always been pure and upright, and have never done any shady dealings, let alone embezzled any public funds! Alright, since you want to see, I’ll take you there!”

Yao Zheng bowed and said, “I humbly invite Your Majesty to visit my humble abode to prove my innocence!” The empress smiled and said, “Okay, let’s stop by and take a look!”