dognovel Chapter 613 The incident came to light
Chapter 613 The incident came to light
This matter was of great importance, and Shi Qing dared not delay, so he immediately went to the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
All the civil and military officials in the court were filled with fear, as if they could already see the day when the Wu Kingdom would perish.
Beset by internal and external troubles, the country also has a traitor within its own ranks. Even if the ruler had three heads and six arms, it would be difficult to deal with.
"Alright, all of you may leave," the king said weakly, waving his hand.
"Your Majesty, you must make a decision as soon as possible," Wu Tiancheng said, still unwilling to give up.
"We'll discuss this later," the king said, shaking his head.
He didn't want to make any decisions until the deployment map issue was clarified.
If the defense map is actually in the hands of the Daye Kingdom, what ability will they have to resist?
Seeing the king's anger, the crowd dared not say a word and slunk away.
Lin Ping's expression was somewhat unnatural. He had originally wanted to see Xia Linglong, but ultimately gave up the idea, not wanting to stay in the palace for even a second longer.
The defense map? Wasn't that the one he and Jiang Hongling stole together?
Two months later, the truth finally came out, and he panicked.
Lin Ping didn't know what Jiang Hongling wanted to do with the defense map, but he hoped she wouldn't actually hand it over to the Daye Kingdom.
In that case, Lin Ping would be a sinner against the Wu Kingdom.
Back at his residence, Lin Ping was parched and drank three large bowls of tea in one go.
"What happened? Why are you so nervous?" Zhou Xiyin stared at Lin Ping in confusion.
She had never seen Lin Ping look like this before, as if he were facing a great calamity.
"Yinyin, in your heart, am I a good person or a bad person?" Lin Ping asked, staring seriously into Zhou Xiyin's eyes.
This puzzled her even more; why would someone ask such a strange question out of the blue?
“My husband is vindictive, cunning, fickle, and glib…” Zhou Xiyin rattled off several derogatory terms, as if Lin Ping’s crimes were too numerous to count.
Lin Ping lowered his head and remained silent, forced to admit that what Zhou Xiyin said was true.
He never considered himself a good person, nor did he ever aspire to be one, but he also had no intention of betraying his country.
If a single defense map were to cause the fall of the Wu Kingdom and the suffering of its people, Lin Ping would be a sinner for all time.
Lin Ping wasn't afraid of being cursed by millions, but he was afraid of being misunderstood by those around him. He still hoped that Zhou Xiyin would say that he was a good person.
Just when he was at his most heartbroken, Zhou Xiyin added, "Even so, I still think my husband is a good man, a truly upright man!"
"So this is 'love me, love my dog'?"
Although the other party's words were heartwarming, they were ultimately somewhat perfunctory, leaving Lin Ping feeling a little disappointed.
"The reason I am so vengeful is because those wicked people offended my husband first. My cunning is also to protect those around me. As for my fickleness... it's because I'm afraid my sisters who don't receive my love will be heartbroken. If the world misunderstands my husband, I will be an enemy of the world!"
These words shocked Lin Ping. He stared blankly at Zhou Xiyin, never expecting that this petite woman could utter such powerful words.
"Your words are enough. Your husband will fight with all his might, even if it means going against the whole world!"
Lin Ping smiled faintly, a gleam rising in his eyes.
"Your Excellency, please wait a moment while I go in to inform them," the doorman said with a fawning smile.
In the past, there would have been no need to announce the arrival of the prefect, but now that Lin Ping is a general with a higher rank than Xia Yeran, he is entitled to be made to wait outside the door.
"Get out of the way, I want to see your son-in-law," Xia Yeran said angrily, not giving the doorman a chance to announce her arrival.
He was, after all, a prince, and the gatekeeper dared not forcibly stop him, loudly announcing, "The Prefect has arrived!"
"They've come knocking on our door so quickly?" Lin Ping muttered to himself, naturally guessing Xia Yeran's purpose for coming.
Bang!
Xia Yeran kicked the grille door open; he had never been so angry before.
"Xia Yeran, how dare you trespass on my residence!" Lin Ping said, feigning composure.
"Does Your Excellency think that the Zhou family is easy to bully and can come and go as you please?" Zhou Xiyin asked sarcastically.
She could naturally tell that Lin Ping was feeling guilty, and she wanted to cheer him up in this way.
"Lin Ping, how dare you steal the defense map? Are you a spy sent by an enemy country?" Xia Yeran asked bluntly.
Two months ago, the royal treasury was robbed, and the thieves are still at large.
Xia Yeran discovered a clue and found that Lin Ping had no record of leaving the palace.
Since only a luminous pearl was lost, Xia Yeran didn't think much of it. Now that she thinks about it, Lin Ping probably stole the defense map along with it that time.
"What if I say no?" Lin Ping did not directly answer the question about the defense map, but only proved his position.
Ultimately, it was Xia Yeran who recommended Lin Ping, and if he really did collude with the enemy, Xia Yeran also bears an inescapable responsibility.
"Then did you steal the defense map?" Xia Yeran continued to ask.
"That's right, I stole it!" Lin Ping confessed without hesitation, now that things had come to this point, he didn't want to deceive Xia Yeran any longer.
"Hand it over, and I'll take the blame for you!" Xia Yeran said, holding out her hand.
"It's gone, I've already given it to someone else." Lin Ping spread his hands, looking as if he was completely at Lin Ping's mercy.
"I'll kill you!" Xia Yeran roared in fury, drew her sword, and thrust it straight at Lin Ping's chest.
Zhou Xiyin quickly shielded Lin Ping in front of her, spreading her arms wide and saying, "If you want to kill someone, then kill me first. I asked my husband to steal it."
Her words left Lin Ping speechless, both amused and exasperated. This woman was incredibly stupid; she hadn't even figured out the whole story before making such a big fuss. Did she really think the laws of the Wu Kingdom were a joke?
"Yinyin, step aside. The Prefect wants to kill me." Lin Ping took a few steps forward, his chest already pressed against the sword blade.
Xia Yeran took several steps back and said sternly, "Don't think I wouldn't dare to kill you. No matter who betrays the Wu Kingdom, they are my enemy, and you are no exception."
"Since the Prefect is so certain that I am a spy from an enemy country, you may very well stab me with your sword," Lin Ping said confidently, certain that Xia Yeran would not dare to make a move.
He knew Xia Yeran wasn't stupid; she had seen through many things.
If Lin Ping were truly a spy from an enemy state, why would he help him eliminate He Wei, Lu Zhan, and others, and why would he allow the Wu Kingdom's economy to flourish and the people's lives to become increasingly prosperous?
"Why? Why steal the defense map? Are you really going to disregard the lives of millions of people?" Xia Yeran asked, shaking her head.
He knew Lin Ping must have his reasons, otherwise he wouldn't have remained silent.
"I, Lin Ping, will take full responsibility for my actions. Even if it costs me my life, I will not let the people suffer!" Lin Ping's expression was cold and serious, more so than ever before.
Thud...
The longsword fell to the ground, and Xia Yeran's body went limp, not knowing what to do.
"Surround them! Don't let a single fly escape!"
Another cold voice came from outside the door, and hundreds of guards dressed in black robes and brocade surrounded the Zhou residence.
Just as the gatekeeper was about to report, he was seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and instantly lost his mind.