My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 56: I Hope You Get What You Want.

　　Upon meeting the Lin family Head, perhaps everything would become clear. Whoever in the Lin family sent the assassins, the Head of the family couldn't possibly be unaware, or perhaps the Head himself ordered the hit.

　　The order was given.

　　Yun Ling was already preparing to leave the prison, but then she heard him say casually, “Kill them all.”

　　Pei Yuan immediately responded, “Yes.”

　　Upon hearing this, the assassins, even the most hardened and bloodthirsty among them, trembled in fear at the knowledge of their impending death, desperately begging for mercy.

　　Wailing filled the air.

　　Xie Jue remained impassive and unmoved.

　　It had been a long time since she had witnessed his bloodthirsty side, and Yun Ling was momentarily stunned.

　　“What's wrong?” Xie Jue's voice softened as he saw her stop. “Could it be that you want to plead for them?”

　　“They almost took your life, causing you countless nightmares. I naturally won't let them go. Moreover, these are all vicious criminals who've taken countless lives; their deaths are insignificant.”

　　“I know,” Yun Ling nodded. She hadn't intended to plead for these men; she was simply momentarily taken aback.

　　Perhaps, after three years away from the Palace, removed from the intrigue and cruelty of Court life, having grown accustomed to a more peaceful existence, her nature had softened.

　　But that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

　　Therefore, she said no more.

　　Soon, they left the Zezhou prison together.

　　The prison was filled with vicious criminals and hardened offenders—an unexpected sight for a delicate young lady.

　　However, since she was accompanied by a young man who clearly held immense power, surrounded by numerous heavily armed Imperial Guards, the prisoners dared not look at her too closely.

　　Qin Yi, sentenced to execution in a few days, attempted to plead again, but he was stopped. His gaze unintentionally fell upon the woman.

　　His hair was disheveled, but he had once been a handsome man, captivating countless women.

　　He'd had countless beautiful companions.

　　Yet, looking at that woman, he felt a strange sense of familiarity about her unique aura.

　　“Who is that woman?”

　　Qin Yi gave the jailer his last piece of fine silk. The jailer secretly pocketed it, and when no one was around, he whispered, “I heard she's a lady-in-waiting close to His Highness the Crown Prince, but they seem quite intimate. I don't know much more.”

　　He didn't dare say more, quickly returning to his duties.

　　Qin Yi's gaze drifted off into the distance. He had a persistent feeling that he had seen that woman's aura before.

　　……

　　Summoned by the Crown Prince of the Great Jin Dynasty—how could a mere wealthy merchant from Yunze dare refuse? Especially when the summons arrived in the form of heavily armed Imperial Guards bursting into his home, causing Lin Yihai to spit out his tea in shock.

　　The Crown Prince summoned him? And the Crown Prince was actually in Yunze? Two thoughts raced through his mind. The information he'd received clearly stated that the Duke Chen’s son was in Yunze investigating the embezzlement of disaster relief funds, and had even arrested the Yunze governor.

　　But the Crown Prince was in Zezhou?

　　He had controlled the Lin family for nearly twenty years and had weathered many storms. He quickly regained his composure.

　　The Crown Prince's presence in Yunze had been kept extremely secret. Why would he suddenly summon him?

　　If he'd summoned all the wealthy merchants of Yunze, that would be one thing, but summoning only him made the situation far more intriguing.

　　Thinking about the assassins he’d hired more than ten days ago, who still hadn't contacted him at their meeting point, Lin Yihai suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

　　That amulet... it hadn't appeared since the death of the previous family head. The last Lin family member capable of creating it had vanished without a trace.

　　Yet, he'd suddenly learned that someone in Wujiacun village had seen the amulet. His immediate reaction was to secretly eliminate that person without alerting the Lin family elders, fearing they would return to claim his position.

　　The Lin family was incredibly conservative. If it weren't for unforeseen circumstances, the headship wouldn't have fallen to him.

　　But no matter how well he managed the Lin family, he had to cede his position to the heir of the previous family head.

　　How could he willingly give up after diligently managing the Lin family for over twenty years?

　　With these anxieties swirling in his mind, Lin Yihai followed the Imperial Guards into the gates of the post station.

　　In the main hall sat a young man with handsome features but a distant and aloof demeanor. At a glance, Lin Yihai heard a nearby Imperial Guard shout, “Bold! Kneel before His Highness the Crown Prince!”

　　Lin Yihai quickly knelt and kowtowed, “Your humble servant, Lin Yihai, greets His Highness the Crown Prince.”

　　Lin Yihai was around forty years old, with thick, long eyebrows and a pair of slanted, sharp eyes. His appearance was unremarkable, average at best, clearly giving off the air of a merchant.

　　He did not resemble Yun Ling at all.

　　The moment Xie Jue laid eyes on Lin Yihai, he knew that there was no blood relation between him and Yun Ling.

　　The Crown Prince's scrutinizing gaze bore down on Lin Yihai, lingering without a word, the air around him thick with an almost palpable pressure. Gradually, a sheen of sweat began to form on Lin Yihai's forehead.

　　After a long pause, he gathered his courage to ask, “May I inquire why Your Highness has summoned me? Please, enlighten me.”

　　After all, this was Yun Ling's own background, and Xie Jue had no intention of intervening.

　　Turning to glance at her, Yun Ling nodded and stepped out from behind the screen, squatting down in front of Lin Yihai.

　　She took the amulet from her sleeve and held it before his eyes, her voice steady as she asked, “Master Lin, do you recognize this amulet?”

　　Lin Yihai's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked up at Yun Ling.

　　Only then did he realize that the face before him belonged to a very young and beautiful woman, not the person he had expected.

　　His heart trembled involuntarily. He knew that lying would be useless; since he'd been summoned, the matter had been discovered.

　　The amulet from Wujiacun village belonged to this girl. Since she'd summoned him, she knew the amulet was a Lin family heirloom, and that he had sent the assassins.

　　“I recognize it,” Lin Yihai said. “It's a heirloom of the Lin family, possessed only by members of our clan.”

　　“If it's an heirloom of your Lin family, why did you hire someone to kill?” Yun Ling asked pointedly.

　　He never imagined that this young woman had the backing of the Crown Prince. Sending assassins to kill her was clearly a suicidal act.

　　Cold sweat poured down Lin Yihai's face. After a moment, he prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor. “I thought the girl was my junior sister. Only she could create the Lin family amulet.”

　　“Your junior sister? Who is she?”

　　“The daughter of the previous Lin family Head, Lin Ling.”

　　Lin Ling... Yun Ling swallowed, “Only she could make this amulet... then the one in my hand…”

　　Lin Yihai was certain. “It must have been made by her.”

　　For over twenty years, there had been no one else in the Lin family who could create such an amulet. Furthermore, the one in her hand was clearly old; who else could it belong to but her?

　　Yun Ling's voice grew even softer. “Who would she make the amulets for?”

　　Lin Yihai replied, “For her parents, close friends, and... children.”

　　The previous Head of the Lin family had already passed away, so she could not be making them for friends. That meant…

　　Children.

　　So Lin Ling was her mother?

　　Yun Ling quickly regained her composure. “Where is she now?”

　　Lin Yihai's voice trembled as he swallowed hard. “She has been missing for over twenty years. The clan members searched for her for a long time but found no trace.”

　　Yun Ling slowly stood up and calmly stated, sending a chill down Lin Yihai's spine, “It was you, wasn’t it? Taking advantage of the previous Head of the Lin family's death, you secretly sent people to hunt her down, right? Otherwise, how could you have taken the position of Head of the family? And why, after over twenty years, would you immediately send assassins upon hearing news of her whereabouts?”

　　Lin Yihai's hands began to tremble. He hadn't expected this woman to see through him so easily; she was incredibly astute. “I…”

　　And she could very well be Lin Ling's daughter! Backed by the Crown Prince no less. If she were to learn of the events from back then, she would surely not let him off the hook and might even strip him of his position as Head of the Lin family.

　　Thinking this, Lin Yihai said, “I was merely momentarily blinded by greed. Thankfully, the young lady wasn't harmed. But the events of over twenty years ago were absolutely not my doing, young lady, don't falsely accuse me…”

　　“Even if you summon all the Lin family elders, that's still what I'll say.”

　　She had no evidence to prove she was Lin Ling's daughter, and so many years had passed since those events. Based on mere speculation, what could she possibly do to him? Even the Crown Prince couldn't arbitrarily kill innocent citizens, could he?

　　Lin Yihai thought to himself.

　　It was only because he was in Yunze and didn't understand the Crown Prince's methods that he had such a naive idea.

　　Yun Ling was indeed only guessing; she lacked both evidence and the authority to act against him.

　　She lowered her eyes, looking at Lin Yihai without speaking for a moment.

　　Just as Lin Yihai was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a low, cold voice from above,

　　“Master Lin, you're quite skilled with words.” Xie Jue's thin lips curled slightly as he suddenly stood up and walked down, the embroidered golden edges of his dark, luxurious robe falling into Lin Yihai's line of sight. “Since there's no evidence, even I can do nothing to you.”

　　Lin Yihai repeatedly kowtowed. “Your humble servant wouldn't dare.”

　　“Wouldn't dare?” Xie Jue's voice was calm and even, his words slow and deliberate. “You even dared to attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince, and there's still something you wouldn't dare to do?”

　　Lin Yihai's chest tightened, cold sweat dripping down his back, his hands trembling.

　　Assassinate the Crown Prince? Could it be that the assassins hadn't responded because they had all been captured, and they had accidentally injured the Crown Prince? He had already admitted to hiring assassins, but he hadn't expected that they would actually harm the Crown Prince—that was a crime punishable by the extermination of his entire family!

　　At this moment, Pei Yuan shouted from the side, “Attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince is a crime punishable by death!”

　　Upon hearing this, Lin Yihai's face turned pale in an instant, his head banging heavily against the floor. “Your humble servant is guilty! Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! I wouldn't dare assassinate Your Highness. It was all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!”

　　Xie Jue looked down from above, his eyes devoid of warmth, a faint smile playing on his lips as he slowly said,

　　“But I have a thousand and one ways to punish you.”

　　Lin Yihai lay prostrate on the ground, utterly terrified and distraught. Suddenly, trembling, he confessed truthfully, “When the old family Head passed away, Lin Ling was heartbroken and off her guard. I secretly sent assassins to kill her, but they failed, and I didn't take her life. I don't know where she's been all these years.

　　“That's all I know. Please, Your Highness, spare me!”

　　Xie Jue coldly curled his lips.

　　He was a clever man. Unfortunately, anyone who dared to harm him would not be spared.

　　“Drag him away!”

　　Fei Ying: “Yes.”

　　Lin Yihai was taken away. His confession regarding Lin Ling had revealed the majority of the truth.

　　The daughter of the old family Head, Lin Ling, was pursued and fled, perhaps accidentally giving birth to a child before disappearing without a trace. Lin Yihai feared Lin Ling's return and her seizing his position as family Head, hence the assassination attempt.

　　But whether or not she is Lin Ling's daughter remains uncertain, based solely on a protective amulet.

　　And where is Lin Ling now? Only by finding her can this mystery be solved. The world is vast; where could she possibly find her?

　　The possibility of her death is a thought she tries to avoid. No matter what, Yun Ling hopes she is still alive.

　　Lin Yihai's assassination attempt against the former family Head's daughter and his numerous other misdeeds were made public, resulting in his dismissal as Head of the Lin family. Added to that was the crime of attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince—a capital offense that would lead to the extermination of his entire family.

　　That he didn't implicate other members of the Lin family could be considered an act of mercy. Ultimately, the reason for his leniency was likely due to the possibility of Yun Ling being Lin Ling's daughter, which prevented him from completely wiping them out.

　　Yun Ling did visit Lin Ling's old room, but after more than twenty years, there was nothing left. Naturally, she couldn't find anything.

　　Yun Ling absentmindedly ran her fingers over the old desk, lost in thought.

　　At that moment, Bai Ling came to remind her, “Lady Yun, everything has been prepared at the inn. His Highness is waiting for you at the door; we should set off.”

　　Yun ling regained her focus. “Alright, let's go.”

　　With that, she left the room.

　　The Crown Prince had already spent enough time in Yunze; with the Lin family matters settled, they could no longer afford to delay.

　　This time, she was truly leaving.

　　During this period, she had been so preoccupied with her identity that she momentarily forgot about her return to the Capital.

　　The lavish carriage was already waiting outside the door, and Grand Eunuch An lifted the curtain for her, inviting her inside.

　　Yun Ling took one last glance at the Lin residence before turning and stepping into the carriage.

　　Inside the carriage, the Crown Prince was leaning against the soft cushions, his dark hair falling over his shoulders. His long fingers held a scroll; without looking up, he said in a calm voice, “I hear that after Lin Ling disappeared, the Lin family waited nearly ten years before letting Lin Yihai become the head of the family. No wonder he became so desperate when he encountered someone who resembled Lin Ling.”

　　“This Lin family...is quite interesting.”

　　Yun Ling agreed. “Indeed. It seems the entire Lin family only truly respects the family Head's daughter.”

　　Perhaps it was due to her superior abilities, or perhaps for other reasons. She couldn't guess.

　　Large families like that are always complicated.

　　She never cared about the position of Head of the Lin family; she was only wondering where the person who might be her mother was now.

　　Seeing her lost in thought, Xie Jue put down his book. “Don't overthink it. I've already sent people to investigate; we should have her whereabouts soon.”

　　“Then the truth will be revealed. I hope you get your wish.”

　　Yun Ling's eyelashes fluttered, and she looked up at him.

　　His expression was unchanged, much like when she was in the Eastern Palace. His methods were extremely ruthless and brutal, enough to frighten anyone. But…

　　But along the way, he had helped her avenge her master in Wujiacun village, shielded her from arrows, and helped her uncover her past. In this world, it seemed that only he would treat her like this.

　　She and he had been entangled for so many years, experiencing so much together. From a palace maid to his official, and now, she was about to become his Crown Princess. Even if she didn't admit it, she knew their entanglement ran too deep.

　　A man as ruthless as him, if he truly loved someone, would do so wholeheartedly and without reservation.

　　Yun Ling stared blankly, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, before finally leaning slowly against his shoulder.

　　Xie Jue put down his book and put his arm around her. “Tired?”

　　Yun Ling closed her eyes, remaining silent, only shaking her head.

　　Xie Jue took off his cloak and draped it over her, completely enveloping her in his embrace. “If you're tired, sleep. I'll take care of everything.”

　　Yun Ling hugged his waist, her cheek rubbing against his warm chest, pressing closer.

　　Xie Jue gently stroked her hair, and after she fell asleep, he held her in one arm and picked up his book again with the other.

　　The carriage sped out of Zezhou, heading towards the capital.

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