Early in the morning in the capital, a light drizzle began to fall.
It was just dawn and the sky was still gray. Occasionally, pedestrians walked quickly on the street holding umbrellas.
The world was deserted.
In the west of the city, several streets away from the imperial city, there is a quiet alley with buildings lined up one after another.
Most of the people who lived here were officials from the imperial court. A brick thrown down here could easily make several fifth-rank officials.
It was still early, and a continuous drizzle was falling. The cold wind was biting, almost piercing the skin, and the doors of all the courtyards were closed.
The atmosphere became more and more depressing.
Just outside a house deep in the courtyard, the gate was open, white paper money was spread on the ground outside the courtyard, and the lanterns at the door were changed to white. Through the gate, one could see a huge black and white "Dian" character in the courtyard, which added a bit of horror to the surrounding atmosphere.
Faintly, sobbing sounds could be heard from the yard, occasionally accompanied by bursts of angry curses.
Zhou Mansion.
Today is the day when Zhou Huiguang, the only son of Zhou Yao, the son of a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel, is buried!
As the sky gradually brightened, several figures began to appear outside Zhou's residence.
There were officials in the capital, friends the Zhou family had made over the years, and perhaps children from various families in the capital...
Over the years, the Zhou family has also made many connections and forces in Beijing. Today, when the Zhou family's only son was buried, many people came to see him off.
Nearing noon, the sky remained gray. Inside the Zhou residence, mournful music suddenly filled the air, mingling with cries and the chatter of the crowd in the courtyard, creating an indescribably strange atmosphere.
"Minister of Justice Chen Yi has arrived!"
"The Song family from Zhongzhou has arrived!"
"The Minister of Personnel has arrived!"
“…”
Following the announcement from outside the door, these big figures in the capital who were usually elusive gathered here one after another.
"Master Zhou, I'm so sorry. Please take care of yourself!"
"Thank you for your concern, Master Chen."
"Master Zhou, I fully understand your feelings. You must hold on and never condone the murderer!"
The person who spoke was the head of the Zhongzhou Song family, Song Zhongfu.
Outside the gate, in just a few days, this official from the Ministry of Personnel, who had experienced the pain of losing his son, had lost a lot of weight, but the grief and hatred in his eyes were still burning.
"Master Song!"
Zhou Yao looked up at Song Zhongfu in front of him, as if he had thought of something.
"You and I have a common enemy!"
There was also a hint of sadness and hatred in Song Zhongfu's eyes.
Half a year ago, his second son Song Jue was brutally murdered for no reason by the Prince of Lin in Linzhou, and his body was never found.
So far, the Lin family has not given any explanation.
Although the Song family has some influence in Zhongzhou, it is almost impossible for them to fight against the Lin family. In the past six months, Song Zhongfu has tried every possible way to seek justice for his son, but he is powerless.
There is nothing more painful in the world than watching his son die at the hands of his enemy without being able to take revenge.
Because of this, he understood Zhou Yao's feelings very well.
Hearing this, Zhou Yao instantly understood what Song Zhongfu meant, and a hint of hatred quickly appeared in his eyes: "That's right, the murderer must not be allowed to go unpunished!"
"My condolences!"
Song Zhongfu patted Zhou Yao on the shoulder and walked into the yard.
Outside the door, carriages and sedan chairs continued to stop, and figures of officials and noble families continued to appear.
"Uncle Zhou, my condolences!"
Li Qianlin and Gao Wenyang also came. They were good friends with Zhou Huiguang and were considered close friends in Beijing.
Zhou Huiguang's funeral is today, so naturally they have to come and see him off.
"Uncle Zhou, don't worry. Uncle Zhou and our family are old friends. Now that Brother Zhou has been murdered and the murderer is at large, we will definitely not sit idly by..."
"I just don't believe it. Is there no law in this world? Can Prince Lin kill people at will?"
"We will definitely find a way to let Brother Zhou rest in peace!"
Gao Wenyang spoke in a low voice, and Li Qianlin beside him remained silent, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes, as if he was thinking about something.
Perhaps he had never imagined until now that Lin Jiangnian would actually dare to kill someone like this?!
This reminded him of his trip to Linzhou half a year ago. At that time, he was full of energy and didn't take the Prince of Lin seriously at all.
But what is the result?
Song Jue died quietly!
If he had not been prepared, he would have died in Linzhou long ago, right?
Thinking of this, Li Qianlin couldn't help but shudder.
Zhou Yao looked downcast as he gazed at his son's two former friends. He nodded with satisfaction, "Having you two as my friends is enough for my life!"
The two exchanged pleasantries with Zhou Yao, and after some comfort, they entered the courtyard. A light rain continued to fall, and the air was damp and cold, with a biting wind. The stone paths in the courtyard were covered with muddy footprints. Under the eaves of houses not far away, children from various families and officials stood or sat in groups of three or four, discussing something.
Many people's eyes fell on the hall, where the atmosphere was bleak.
Supported by her servants, Zhou's mother cried bitterly and fainted several times, overcome with grief.
That tragic voice moved many people present!
Zhou Huiguang lost his life at a young age, and the Zhou family lost an old man. How could this situation not make people feel overwhelmed with emotion and extremely angry?
Some officials with a sense of justice gnashed their teeth and said, "How could the Prince of Lin be so vicious? He treats human life as worthless and goes too far!"
"How can a savage from a barbaric land have any regard for etiquette?"
"I just don't believe there's really no law. A son of a prince from a thousand miles away is now bullying us, and no one can do anything to him. Is there really no one left in the capital?"
"What are you all afraid of? Are you afraid of the Lin family's revenge? Are you condoning his arrogance and domineering behavior?"
"Today is Lord Zhou, tomorrow is you all!"
“…”
There was a lot of discussion all around, and people were indignant. Many people looked angry, and many people had their own ulterior motives.
Everyone knew that the Zhou family and the Prince of Lin were now locked in a deadlock. It was nearly impossible for a small Zhou family to shake the Prince of Lin's mansion.
Let alone the Zhou family, who among all the civil and military officials in the capital can shake the status of the Prince Lin's Mansion?
No matter how you mess around in the capital, the Prince Lin holds military power and is extremely powerful, sitting in the southern border unmoved. What can you, a mere official, do?
Even though the court had discussed reducing the power of the feudal lords for several years, it ultimately remained just talk and no one dared to actually do it.
Just join in the scolding on a daily basis. Few people dare to be the first to speak out!
This time, the Zhou family was likely under the guise of someone, someone trying to take advantage of the situation and target the Lin Wang Mansion. Others remained silent, watching the fight unfold.
Zhou Yao walked slowly into the courtyard with heavy steps. He stood in front of the hall, looking at the people in the courtyard, his voice very low.
"I would like to thank all my colleagues, relatives and friends for coming to see my son off today. I, Zhou, am here today to thank you all..."
Zhou Yao's voice seemed to carry some suppressed emotion. He glanced behind him, his tone mournful, "It's a pity that my son's body is still warm and he can't rest in peace. It's my incompetence as a father that has allowed the murderer who killed my son to remain at large..."
At this point, Zhou Yao's voice was filled with a trace of uncontrollable grief. "However, I, Zhou, swear here. Prince Lin murdered my son. I, Zhou, will never give up. I will seek justice for my son and offer a sacrifice to his spirit in heaven!"
A cold and sad voice.
These words quickly stirred up many people present.
"Don't worry, Master Zhou. We will definitely lend you a helping hand and will not let the murderer go unpunished!"
"Why not just send someone to force their way into the Jiang residence, capture the Prince of Lin, and avenge Master Zhou!"
"I'm so angry! It's a good thing that that bastard isn't here. If he were here, I'd definitely punch his head off!"
“…”
Just as the crowd was boiling with excitement and everyone was indignantly denouncing Prince Lin.
Outside the door, a servant rushed in in a panic.
"Master, no, it's not good..."
The servant stumbled into the yard, ran to Zhou Yao, and said hurriedly: "Master, Prince Lin, Prince Lin... is coming... "
As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings fell into a dead silence. The originally noisy voices suddenly stopped, as if someone had suddenly grabbed their necks.
The next second, many people's eyes fell on the guy who just said that he would blow the Prince Lin's head off with one punch.
But the guy had a dull look, a look of astonishment, and a stiff smile on his face.
Really, are you really coming?
"I, I was just kidding..."
The smile on his face was extremely stiff, uglier than crying. His arrogance just a moment ago vanished in an instant, and he slipped into the crowd in shame.
“…”
“Who’s coming?!”
When Zhou Yao heard the name, his eyes suddenly turned cold and he stared at the servant in front of him.
"Lin, Prince Lin... He, he is just outside the street, he will be here soon..." the servant stammered.
There was a brief silence in the courtyard, and then an uproar quickly broke out.
"That's too much!"
"How dare he come here?"
"He murdered Master Zhou and came here today on the day of his funeral. Is he here to show off? Damn it!"
No one expected that Prince Lin would come here?
How dare you come?
Since the last Lu family wedding, the Prince of Lin has kept a low profile for several days. I originally thought he was hiding in the Jiang Mansion, relying on his status to become a coward.
Unexpectedly, he actually came to visit on the day of Zhou Huiguang's funeral.
What does this mean?
Face-to-face and wide open? !
"How many people did he come with?"
Zhou Yao's face turned pale.
"Two, two people..."
The servant trembled: "It seems that he only brought a maid with him!"
Good job!
Many people gasped.
This Prince Lin is so brave!
How dare you come here with only a maid?
Do you really not take them seriously?
Is he really not afraid of death?
Isn't he afraid that the crowd present will beat him to death in the heat of the moment?
Zhou Yao's face turned ashen and his brows were deeply furrowed.
"Master, do you want to drive him away?" asked the servant.
Zhou Yao was silent for a moment, then his eyes turned coldly, looking out the door: "No need, let him come!"
It was still drizzling, and the rain washed the bluestone slabs in the yard clean.
Just as everyone in the yard looked towards the door, two figures slowly appeared outside.
The first thing that catches your eye is a black umbrella.
Two figures appeared under the black umbrella, one in front and one behind, one master and one servant.
What caught everyone's eye was a young, handsome face, with sharp features, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes. He was dressed in a black robe, which seemed to complement the atmosphere of the day, but it also made his temperament more elegant and handsome.
Just one glance made many people present exclaim in amazement.
What a handsome man!
He is the Prince of Lin? !
Among the people present, some had seen Prince Lin at the Lu family's wedding, while others were seeing him for the first time. However, when they saw the figure before them, they were all shocked.
The wild news in Beijing is really wild!
The handsome and elegant man in front of me, especially the black robe, makes him even more mysterious.
Seeing such a handsome man in person still shocked me.
In an instant, the noisy courtyard became quiet again.
Silence.
Between heaven and earth, there were only the sounds of cold wind and drizzling rain.
A young man in a black robe, holding a black umbrella, stepped over the threshold and into the courtyard. He stared straight ahead, his expression calm and composed, stepping slowly onto the bluestone slabs.
Behind him was a beautiful young woman, also dressed in a black dress. Her delicate features exuded a chilling aura, and she kept her gaze fixed. Quietly holding an umbrella, she followed Lin Jiangnian closely.
The two of them walked one in front and one behind, in the sight of everyone, oblivious to everything.
At this moment, the two of them gave everyone present the illusion that they were a talented man and a beautiful woman, a couple made in heaven.
Is this person really the Prince of Lin?
Is that stunning woman behind him really just his maid?!
Many people stared blankly at the scene before them.
In such a silent and eerie environment, Zhou Yao stood in front of the hall with a gloomy face, watching the murderer who killed his son approach and stop.
"Master Zhou!"
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes slightly, looked at Zhou Yao in front of him, and bowed slightly.
Zhou Yao stared at him, hatred suddenly surging in his eyes: "What are you doing here?!"
Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "I heard that Master Zhou's funeral is today, so I came to see him off and burn some incense for him!"
"Are you worthy?"
Before Zhou Yao could speak, an angry voice came from the side.
A young man glared at Lin Jiangnian angrily: "You killed my cousin, and now you have the nerve to come and see him off and burn incense?!"
"Do you really think that there is no one in my Zhou family?!"
Lin Jiangnian's expression remained unchanged as he sized the man up and asked, "Who are you?"
"Zhou Ruijin, Zhou Huiguang's cousin!"
Zhou Ruijin said coldly: "You killed my cousin, and now you come to my house on your own initiative. This is too much!"
Lin Jiangnian said calmly: "Mr. Zhou was not killed by this prince."
"The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to quibble?!"
Zhou Ruijin angrily said, "Stop talking nonsense and prepare to die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Ruijin's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He suddenly jumped up, his breath sharp, and tapped the ground with his toes. He suddenly rushed towards Lin Jiangnian and punched him in the head.
It’s extremely fast and arrives in the blink of an eye.
So much so that almost no one present reacted, and no one expected Zhou Ruijin to suddenly take action!
Many people were shocked.
How could the Prince of Lin defend himself at such a close distance?!
I won't really die here, will I?
"call out!"
There seemed to be a flash of cold light.
"Bang!"
A dull sound was heard, and a figure flew backwards.
"puff!"
Zhou Ruijin fell heavily in the yard, spitting blood, his pupils widened, staring ahead in disbelief.
In the sight ahead, Lin Jiangnian was still standing there, motionless.
The maid behind him also stood there, holding an umbrella in one hand and calmly putting the other hand back under her sleeve. She stared at him with cold eyes without saying a word.
There was still light rain in the sky.
All around, it was still eerily quiet!
…