Reborn of the Rightful

Sixth Master Lin Kun?

So it was him...

Ren Yaoqi was not surprised to hear his name.

“When she saw Master Zhu silently take out ropes and locks, she cursed, ‘Don’t think that killing me will keep his deeds hidden! The Lin Family caused Sixth Madam to miscarry repeatedly, and Sixth Master Lin clearly knew about it but pretended otherwise, all to turn the Ren Family against the main branch of the Lin Family. He wanted the Ren Family to side with him when he splits from the Lin Family! Pah! Is he even a man? Now he’s sending you to kill me—isn’t this just killing the chicken to scare the monkey, a warning to my master?’”

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi was stunned, her face blank with shock.

Lin Kun knew that Ren Shijia’s repeated miscarriages were the work of the main branch of the Lin Family? How could that be?

Ren Yaoqi instinctively refused to believe it, because if it were true, it would be far too cruel for Ren Shijia.

Moreover, during her recent visits to Ren Shijia’s courtyard, she had seen how doting Lin Kun was toward his newborn child—it didn’t seem feigned. So even though she felt Lin Kun was a complex man, possibly not as simple as he appeared, she found it hard to believe he would treat the lives of his wife and child as worthless.

Though inwardly astonished, Ren Yaoqi suppressed her emotions and continued asking, “Who is the master Sister-in-law Wen mentioned?” By now, she already had a guess but wanted confirmation.

Pingguo immediately replied, “Master Zhu sneered and said, ‘You’d better shut up and accept your death. No matter how capable your master is, what can he do to our Sixth Master? After you die, keep your eyes open and see if he dares to utter a single word!’”

Sister-in-law Wen screamed, “Don’t come any closer! How dare my master not act? My master is, after all, a sixth-rank imperial official with a limitless future! Sixth Master Lin is nothing in front of him! If you dare kill me, my master will never let you go!”

Zhu Ruomei remained unmoved. “I’m just following orders. What does your death have to do with me? I’ll take the money and leave.”

Sister-in-law Wen had a sudden inspiration and said, “Brother, don’t let yourself be tricked! Sixth Master Lin wants me dead because I know he schemed against his wife’s family and his own wife to seize the family fortune. I’ve already told you this—do you think he’ll really spare you? As soon as you return, you’ll be silenced before you even get your money!”

Zhu Ruomei paused, then scoffed, “What do I know? I won’t go around blabbing!”

Seeing Zhu Ruomei about to pounce, Sister-in-law Wen grew desperate and added, “Young brother, I’m not lying! My master sent me to assist our young mistress. After learning about the Lin Family’s affairs, our young mistress wanted to cooperate with Sixth Master Lin for mutual benefit, so she even helped him. But Sixth Master Lin is too ruthless—he acts one way in public and another in private, burning bridges after crossing the river. Not only does he refuse to acknowledge past debts, but he also wants to use this method to intimidate my master and keep him from interfering in the Lin Family’s affairs. Think about it—someone as cautious as him, how could he rest easy with someone like you who might also know his secrets? Until the Lin Family’s fortune is in his hands, he’ll never feel secure.”Seeing Zhu Ruomei's body visibly stiffen, as if somewhat disturbed by her words, Sister-in-law Wen secretly scanned her surroundings for an escape route while continuing to wield her silver tongue, racking her brains to divert Zhu Ruomei's attention: "The main branch of the Lin Family plotted to kill Sixth Master Lin's mother and left him childless even as he approaches thirty. Brother, tell me, isn't this a feud of the deepest kind? All these years, he has been treading carefully, bowing and scraping before the main branch of the Lin Family and his wife's family, all for the day he can reclaim the family fortune and avenge his mother! Such a man's mind is undeniably profound! But if word gets out that he used Sixth Mistress Lin to secure help from his wife's family, not only would his wife's family abandon him, but even the main branch of the Lin Family would grow wary of him, making his ambitions all the more difficult to achieve. So he would never allow this to leak. If you really kill me, my fate today will be yours tomorrow!"

It must be said that this Sister-in-law Wen truly had some skill. Her torrent of words, all sensational secrets, even managed to captivate Zhu Ruomei to some extent. Though largely feigned, the woman's eloquence was genuinely impressive.

Sister-in-law Wen realized that if she wanted to jump off the donkey cart, she would have to squeeze past Zhu Ruomei—a rather challenging feat. And while the window was right behind her, it wasn't large enough to fit a person.

As she spoke, she was so frantic that cold sweat poured down her body, nearly losing control of her bladder.

And because Sister-in-law Wen was genuinely terrified, she failed to notice why a killer would listen to so much of her rambling, and why the murder weapon was merely a thick, long rope.

"What benefit would I gain from letting you go?" Zhu Ruomei toyed with the rope in her hand, glaring fiercely at Sister-in-law Wen to deny her too much time to think.

Sister-in-law Wen was startled by the ferocity in her gaze, trembling with fear, and indeed had no chance to ponder what might be amiss. However, the other's words hinted that the situation might not be without room for negotiation. Without thinking, Sister-in-law Wen blurted out: "Of course there are benefits! If you spare me, I'll give you all the valuables I have on me. I know you, brother, might not care for such petty sums, but don't be impatient. As long as you testify against Sixth Master Lin whenever my master requires it in the future, my master will surely reward you handsomely! You must understand, my master is an official, while Sixth Master Lin is nothing but a powerless figurehead in the Lin Family. How could he possibly contend with my master?"

"Who can say what the future holds? Let's talk about the present! Your master isn't in Yanbei right now, is he? Distant water can't quench a nearby fire—am I supposed to run all the way to Jiangnan to ask him for silver? Do you take me for a fool?" The menace in Zhu Ruomei's eyes was as terrifying as a starving wolf's, making Sister-in-law Wen all the more convinced that this person was a desperate outlaw.

"Well... how about you let me go back, and I'll ask my mistress for some silver?"

Zhu Ruomei wore a look of disdain. "Your so-called mistress is just a concubine, isn't she? What authority does she have? If you want me to betray Sixth Master Lin, at least bring someone reliable! Otherwise, if Sixth Master Lin comes after me later, I'll have nowhere to cry for justice, won't I?"Sister-in-law Wen had no time to think it over and immediately said, “Then wait a little longer, brother! It won’t be too long! My master’s wife will come to Yanbei soon. When she arrives, she can even decide on securing you a proper position if you wish. A capable man like you is too good to be a bandit! By joining my master, you can at least gain a respectable status!”

“Oh? Why is your master’s wife coming to Yanbei?” Zhu Ruomei couldn’t help but ask.

But this question of his made Sister-in-law Wen regain some of her lost vigilance, and she couldn’t help but look suspicious.

Zhu Ruomei inwardly cursed his mistake and immediately swung the rope in his hand, impatiently saying, “Forget it! Why am I listening to all this nonsense from a woman? You’ve said so much, but none of it makes sense, and who knows if it’s even true! I might as well kill you and go back to report to Sixth Master Lin!”

Seeing the rope around her neck in the blink of an eye, Sister-in-law Wen had no time to harbor any doubts and immediately screamed, “I haven’t lied about a single word! Why don’t you spare my life and wait and see? See if my master’s wife will come to Yanbei? My mistress wrote a letter a few days ago and sent it back to Jiangning, asking my master to send his wife here to attend Sixth Master Lin’s son’s full-month banquet. Besides showing support for my mistress, it’s also because my mistress wants to arrange a good marriage for her daughter. Given how much my master values his sister, he will definitely send his wife here!”

As Zhu Ruomei’s rope pressed tightly against her neck, with just a little more force it would snap, Sister-in-law Wen coughed and cried, tears and snot streaming down her face. “Cough… And my master might even be assigned to Yanbei as an official in the future. It’s not just about you—you must have family and friends in Yanbei, right? Offending my master will bring you a lot of trouble!”

Ren Yaoqi listened as Pingguo vividly recounted the scene. When she heard this, she couldn’t help but frown. “Fang Yacun’s wife is coming to attend the child’s full-month banquet? Is Fang Yacun planning to come to Yanbei?”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but recall her past life. In her previous life, Ren Shijia hadn’t given birth at the Ren Family, and Old Madam Ren hadn’t taken her to the full-month banquet. She truly had no memory of whether Fang Yacun’s wife had gone to Yunyang City for the banquet.

However, she vaguely remembered that it seemed to be around that time when Concubine Fang gained even more favor in Old Madam Ren’s eyes. Even the affairs of their Purple Magnolia Courtyard were eventually handed over to Concubine Fang to manage, with the excuse that Madam Li was in poor health and needed to focus on raising her two daughters properly.

At the time, she hadn’t known the reason. Now, thinking back, Old Madam Ren was definitely not someone who would be kind to unimportant people for no reason. The Ren Family must have gained some benefit from Fang Yacun or been promised some benefit, which was why she treated Concubine Fang differently.

And later, Fang Yacun did indeed get promoted and came to Yanbei, though not to Yan Prefecture but to another prefecture not too close to it. Even so, Concubine Fang gained more confidence because she had a relative she could rely on.

Although not everything Sister-in-law Wen said might be true, at least some of it was likely accurate.However, these were not good news for Ren Yaoqi.

*****************************************************************************(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian () to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)