Inlaid With Jade - Chapter 21

Chapter 21 
Scheme
 
Li Heming teased Lin Yu with words like playing with a cat, and her brain was confused for a while. She looked up at Li Heming blankly. His face was calm, as if he didn’t think he said something ambiguous. He picked up the teapot and filled the cup before her with hot tea. 
  
Lin Yu couldn’t argue with the mouth of the Northern Leader, and she didn’t dare to guess the meaning of his words again so as not to make a fool of herself again. She looked serious and talked about business: “I read the letter sent by Lord Li. The letter said that Minister Wang mentioned the names of my father and brother during the interrogation. Can you tell me some details?” 
  
This request was too impulsive. If people had known that Li Heming had leaked the case, his head would have dangled on the city gate tower. Lin Yu also knew this and hurriedly said, “I dare not implicate you. I only ask Lord Li to talk about some unimportant things.” 
  
Lin Yu was panicked. Li Heming’s eyes momentarily paused on Lin Yu’s anxious face, and he said: “I can’t reveal much. You only need to know that the names mentioned by Wang Changzhong will inevitably go to the imperial prison.” 
  
Lin Yu’s chest tightened when she heard this, and then she said carefully: “It sounds like Minister Wang mentioned more than just my father and brother’s names.” 
  
Li Heming said: “Yes, more than that.” 
  
Lin Yu frowned: “If Wang Changzhong deliberately dragged people down to disrupt the case, will all officials have to go to prison?” 
  
After the voice fell, a sharp line of sight shot straight into her eyes, and Lin Yu’s hands on her knees clenched into fists: “Did I… say something wrong?” 
  
Li Heming looked at her for a while: “No.” 
  
He said in his heart: So clever. 
  
Lin Yu guessed correctly. Wang Changzhong not only mentioned the father and son of the Lin family this time but also more than 40 officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, most of whom were innocent officials. He couldn’t put them all in the imperial prison. 
  
But —
  
Li Heming turned the teacup in his hand and asked Lin Yu: “Miss Lin, do you dare to bet?” 
  
He did not tell Lin Yu the names of the three officials in Wang Changzhong’s confession, nor did he say that the father and son of the Lin family were not conspicuous among the more than 40 people. Instead, he said: “There are countless names of officials in the confession. The names of Lord Lin and Minister Lin can be clear or circled with red pens and presented to the Emperor.” 
  
Lin Yu stood up suddenly after hearing this and asked puzzledly: “What does Lord Li mean?!” 
  
Li Heming said indifferently: “No other meaning, just handling the case impartially.” His face was calm, but when these words fell into Lin Yu’s ears, they carried a threat. 
  
Lin Yu knew the Northern Leader’s power but only felt the fear today. She panicked: “Since there is room to reverse, can Lord Li …” 
 
Li Heming seemed to know what she was going to ask. He looked at her calmly and interrupted her directly: “Why?” 
  
He had asked this question before. He had asked the same question before when they were on Lingyun Mountain. Lin Yu still remembered the second half of his words: I have no relationship with the Lin family, so why should I take risks to help you? 
  
The cold wind blew through the courtyard, and the white mist in the teacup suddenly dissipated. Lin Yu looked at Li Heming’s face, which had always been cold and ruthless, and understood the meaning of his words. She also suddenly understood why he sent a letter to her. 
  
The Northern Leader worked under the Emperor and had always been cold-hearted. How could Li Heming, as a claw of the real dragon, suddenly have a kind heart to remind her? 
  
Lin Yu looked at him defensively: “I thought Lord Li was kind, but it turns out he had other plans.” 
  
When she exposed him, Li Heming was not angry. Instead, he asked, “If I’m kindhearted, what can I get?” 
  
Lin Yu was not a person who asked for free food. She said: “Of course, I will give all the power and wealth of my Lin family as a reward.” 
  
Li Heming chuckled: “Power and wealth? Which one I don’t have? Even if I don’t have it, I will earn it myself, without asking for it from others.” 
  
He raised his eyelashes, and his dark eyes stared straight at Lin Yu. His deep eyes reflected her face. He said slowly, “Miss Lin knows what I want. In this world, only Miss Lin could give it.”
  
His imposing manner made Lin Yu almost unable to breathe. She squeezed her sleeves tightly and avoided looking at him: “Lord Li is the Northern Leader and is the Emperor’s henchman. You can have any woman you want. Why — why do you stick to the past?” 
  
She definitely did not praise him by saying, ‘Emperor’s henchman.’

Li Heming curled his lips emotionless: “Then Miss Lin, think it through before you come to me.” 
  
He said: “But Miss Lin had better make a decision quickly. If you are late, the price will be different.” 
  
He was not in a hurry, and he was confident as if he knew that Lin Yu would come to him again. 
  
The hot tea gradually cooled down in the cold wind. Lin Yu had never thought she would become a bargaining chip on the negotiation table. However, based only Wang Changzhong’s confession, it was not so critical that Lin Yu would bet on herself. She had nothing to say, picked up the veil on the table, and left the place in shame and anger. 
  
After Lin Yu returned, the Lin Mansion was still as peaceful as usual. When Lin Zhengqing and Lin Jing talked about the court affairs, there were no changes in the court. Mother Lin also spoke about Madam Yang’s gift of flowers during dinner, as if everything was only Li Heming’s intentional intimidation. 
  
But Li Heming would only do something with confidence. Lin Yu spent several days in anxiety. After five days, she finally understood what Li Heming meant by “too late.” 
  
On an ordinary afternoon, the Imperial Guards suddenly captured Yang Jinming’s father, Yang Shilang, and imprisoned him. Less than three days later, Imperial Guard Qian Hu Wei Lin led people to scourge the entire Yang family mansion. 
  
Yingtian Prefecture, which had always been calm, finally welcomed the cold winter that officials feared when the plum blossoms filled the sky.