The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 34.1

“The Provincial Governor Li Xiuxian forcibly seized civilian women on the streets. This is something everyone has witnessed. And the scars under our ears were forced upon us by him some days ago. If you don’t believe it, you may ask a physician to verify!” Zhao Yinan cried out in a hoarse voice, the sensation of heartbreak filling everyone’s mind. Song Kangan, furious at Li Xiuxian’s failure, stomped on him, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

Although they were courtesans, they were women who only sold their art, not their bodies, and were clean. These women had been forced into becoming working prostitutes due to Li Xiuxian’s actions. They were unwilling and resentful, but now, with Shen Lingyan presiding, they spoke everything they knew.

Song Kangan had arrived with the confidence of success, bringing the Founding Father’s scroll. He had not anticipated such a drastic turn of events. He had never imagined that Shen Lingyan would search for additional evidence even when she held a potential weakness. Since when had this Empress become so intelligent?

Not only Song Kangan but the other officials also noticed the change in Shen Lingyan. Zhou Jin, hiding behind the screen, curled her lips, very satisfied with the current situation.

Just then, a woman walked in through the side door of the Provincial Governor’s Hall. She knelt down and one by one articulated Li Xiuxian’s corruption. Shen Lingyan looked closely, and this woman was none other than Zhang Yiqiao’s mother.

Behind the woman, many common people had gathered to watch, all blocked outside the hall, their voices loudly condemning Li Xiuxian.

“Corrupt official Li Xiuxian! Corrupt official Li Xiuxian!” The cries of condemnation grew louder and louder. Song Kangan could barely stand it. Just as he was about to sneak away with the scroll, Shen Lingyan loudly commanded: “Stop! What you hold is the scroll of a Founding Father, but I am no longer the Founding Emperor. This scroll is merely a scrap of paper to you and to me. Dai Junwu…”

Shen Lingyan called him.

Dai Junwu immediately responded, then heard Shen Lingyan’s command: “The corrupt official Li Xiuxian, for forcibly seizing civilian women, deceiving the court, and for imprisoning the Regent and me—adding all these crimes together… Li Xiuxian shall be sentenced to execution by carriage dismemberment and his entire nine-generation clan exterminated.” Her voice was powerful and resolute, echoing throughout the hall. Song Kangan’s face turned white. He tremblingly pointed a finger: “Your Majesty!! How can you do this!?”

“I am the justice.”

As soon as she spoke, the soldiers quickly surrounded and led away Song Kangan and Li Xiuxian. The thorn in her side was finally removed.

Following this incident, all the officials’ perceptions of Shen Lingyan changed considerably. After all, Li Xiuxian already had the crime of imprisoning the Emperor. A normal person would likely not bother to find other evidence. Shen Lingyan, however, was different. She considered every detail, and the entire process was completed without the Regent’s help or intimidation.

Shen Lingyan was also happy. What she thought would be a long, drawn-out affair was resolved in just a few hours. This feeling of relief was something Shen Lingyan had never experienced. Song Kangan was never a major player, having always performed mediocrely since joining the court. Now that his nine-generation clan was to be exterminated, no official dared to object.

After all, the person Song Kangan was protecting was a notorious criminal.

Shen Lingyan had seen this plot point mentioned briefly in the original novel. She had only forced herself to become smarter. Although Zhou Jin had been helping her these past few days, Zhou Jin herself was a major hidden danger.

“Your Majesty is decisive in your actions, truly unlike before,” an official lamented.

Now that the corrupt official Li Xiuxian was eliminated, the common people also felt a great sense of relief, cheering and changing their cries of condemnation to praises: “Long live the Empress!”

As the officials and common people surrounded Shen Lingyan to praise her decisive action, the woman quietly retreated and disappeared.

The next day, after resolving the Provincial Governor’s affairs, Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin, after a night’s rest, began searching for the Zhang family’s whereabouts.

Although the Provincial Governor was finally brought to justice, the Zhang family, who had deceived Shen Lingyan, could not be let off either. However, because the matter of the River God’s wife was inconvenient to publicize, Zhou Jin and Shen Lingyan decided to return to the village alone, without guards.

Dai Junwu stood in front of Shen Lingyan with a look of difficulty, pondering for a long time: “Your Majesty should still take a few guards. Otherwise, if you encounter trouble on the road again, and your subordinates cannot arrive in time, what if Your Majesty is injured!”

Shen Lingyan had considered this matter, but this affair had no direct relationship with the other villagers. If they went with a large, imposing group, the villagers might think they were there to level their village.

Zhou Jin also noticed Shen Lingyan’s dilemma and spoke up to make the decision: “Then let’s do this. Take a small group with us. They will wait outside the village, and the King and Your Majesty will enter the village together.” This was already a compromise, and Dai Junwu could not insist further. He simply selected the most skilled soldiers among the escort to stay close to Shen Lingyan, giving them a strict order: “You must protect the safety of the Empress and the Regent. If anything goes wrong, bring me your heads.”

The soldiers took these words deeply to heart and responded solemnly, sticking close to Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin.

“In that case, let’s go.” Zhou Jin parted her thin lips. She almost said that she did not need such protection, but to appear slightly weaker and encourage Shen Lingyan to take care of her more, she had to forcibly swallow the words.

Shen Lingyan had no objection and stepped forward. However, as they entered the mountain near the village, the sky suddenly darkened without warning.

“Is it going to rain again?” Zhou Jin frowned in confusion, quietly taking a paper umbrella from a soldier and following Shen Lingyan. “It rains a lot in the summer, but why is it so excessive? Although we are close to Jiangnan, it’s not the monsoon season.”

Shen Lingyan had already felt that something was wrong. It had been sunny and pleasant just moments ago, but the moment they entered this mountain, it became overcast. This felt completely wrong.

“We must be careful. Who knows what other illusion the village chief has set up.” The only thing that could explain this strange phenomenon right now was the village chief, who knew how to use illusions.

“Your servant does not think this is an illusion,” Yun Zhu, who had been silent, finally spoke, but her opening words were bad news. “This mountain is surrounded by the River God’s River, which means the river has already isolated this area. When we passed through Liangzhou a few days ago, I felt the temperature was wrong the moment we entered this mountain. It was the same when I left the forest on horseback. Now, even the weather is wrong…”

Yun Zhu racked her brain to recall these details, providing as much information as she could to the two superiors. Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin were not fools. Hearing Yun Zhu’s words, the atmosphere instantly solidified.

“Now we can only take things one step at a time. Could there really be a River God?” Shen Lingyan muttered. To be honest, she felt a slight panic.

Zhou Jin, however, remained carefree. She looped her arm around Shen Lingyan’s waist again, a gesture of intimacy between friends. She liked to hug her whenever she could. Shen Lingyan had gone from being initially shy to being indifferent now.

Because the cunning fox, Zhou Jin, would always say: “What’s wrong, Sister Empress? Isn’t this just a gesture of intimacy between friends?”

Shen Lingyan: …

The path in the mountain was difficult to walk. Due to the rain in the past few days, everyone was stepping in mud. Finally, after this arduous journey, they reached the entrance of the village.

“As discussed before, you all wait outside,” Shen Lingyan bent down and used a handkerchief to wipe the large mud stains from her embroidered shoes, but her words were directed at the soldiers.

The soldiers were still worried. They feared Shen Lingyan might encounter danger in the village, which would mean they would have to present their heads to Dai Junwu.

Zhou Jin lazily glanced at the leading soldier. Her meaning was clear. For some reason, that soldier was afraid of Zhou Jin. Just one look was enough for him to immediately change his words: “Then this subordinate will wait outside the village for Your Majesty. Please take extra care.” Shen Lingyan nodded and, pulling Zhou Jin, walked into this familiar yet strange village.

After only one day, the village was noticeably quieter. Villagers were hardly coming out to enjoy the coolness or chat, and there was no one working or weeding the large plots of land nearby.

“What is going on? It’s not too hot right now, and there’s no sun overhead. Logically, the villagers should be out working,” an ominous feeling arose in Shen Lingyan’s heart.

The usually talkative and teasing Zhou Jin was silent. She quickened her pace and arrived in front of the Zhang family’s small house. In just a few days, white funeral streamers were hanging in front of the Zhang house.

“What does this mean? Could it be that Li Xiuxian died, and they are preparing a funeral for him?” Shen Lingyan was still thinking too simply. She saw Zhou Jin’s tightly locked brows and gently pulled on her sleeve: “What is it?”

“The matter is not simple.” Leaving just that one sentence, Zhou Jin pushed open the door to the Zhang family’s house and walked in. Inside, there were only the man surnamed Zhang and the woman crying sorrowfully like pear blossoms in the rain. Zhang Yiqiao was nowhere to be seen.

Although both Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin were utterly furious with this family, the current situation was more important, so they lowered their voices to ask: “What happened?”

To their surprise, before they could seek revenge on the Zhang family, the man surnamed Zhang stood up first, his eyes bloodshot and full of anger: “Why did you come back?! Why are you alive?! Do you know that because you came back, my daughter has lost her life?”

Shen Lingyan was utterly confused by his words and was also angered by his attitude. She slapped the table, her eyes wide with fury: “Presumptuous! Do you know who you are speaking to!! Could the Regent’s life be less valuable than that of your insignificant little girl?”

Shen Lingyan did not know why Zhang Yiqiao had died, but the house full of white streamers did not seem fake.

Perhaps even now, Shen Lingyan did not believe that Zhang Yiqiao was dead. The woman desperately pulled the standing man back and walked forward herself: “Your Majesty does not know… Our Qiao’er disappeared as soon as she came back. Then red rain fell everywhere. It should have been blood…” Seeing the woman becoming increasingly incoherent, the man rushed over and covered her mouth, saying in a harsh tone: “Don’t listen to her. Why did you two come back? To take the lives of our entire family?”

There was no respect for the Empress in his words, as if he had nothing left to lose.