Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 24 Punishing Wang Sheng and the Empress's Summoning

The two walked out of the private room and saw Wang Sheng barging into the teahouse with seven or eight guards, shouting at the manager.

"Young Master Wang, we have a distinguished guest at our shop today, so it's really inconvenient..." the shopkeeper said with a forced smile.

"Distinguished guest? How distinguished?" Wang Sheng sneered.

"More expensive than me? Let me tell you, this teahouse is on me today. All you irrelevant people, get out of here!"

As he spoke, he spotted Lin Chen and Wen Ruoxi walking out from the backyard.

"Oh, who do we have here? It's Young Master Lin and his Fifth Madam." Wang Sheng said sarcastically.

"What, a man and a woman meeting in a teahouse in broad daylight? The Lin family's family traditions are truly admirable."

These words are malicious, implying that the two are having an affair.

Wen Ruoxi's face darkened: "Wang Sheng, watch your words!"

"Did I say something wrong?" Wang Sheng shrugged.

"A widow and her brother-in-law, drinking tea behind closed doors...tsk tsk, that doesn't sound good if word gets out."

The customers in the teahouse all looked over and pointed at each other.

Lin Chen's eyes grew cold.

He walked slowly to Wang Sheng, the two of them no more than three feet apart.

"Young Master Wang," Lin Chen said calmly, "you just said you wanted to book the entire venue?"

"So what if it is?"

"Not so great." Lin Chen smiled.

"I just wanted to remind you—this teahouse is owned by the Lin family. You've driven away our customers on our turf and even defamed our women… Is this how Minister Wang teaches his son?"

Wang Sheng was intimidated by his imposing manner and subconsciously took a half step back, but then became enraged:

"Lin Chen! Stop pretending! Let me tell you, today I'm not only going to book the whole place, I'm also going to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Chen suddenly made his move.

Instead of hitting him, he took out a token from his pocket and held it up in front of Wang Sheng.

The token is jet black, with the three gilded characters "Duke of Zhenguo" engraved on the front and a tiger head emblem on the back.

This is the identity token of the eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion; seeing the token is equivalent to seeing the Duke himself.

"Wang Sheng," Lin Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"According to the Great Law, insulting the female relatives of the Duke's family shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane."

Those who incite public disturbances or forcibly seize private property are guilty of an even more serious crime.

"Tell me, should I arrest you right now and hand you over to the Prefect of the Capital?"

Wang Sheng's face turned deathly pale.

He then remembered that although Lin Chen was a playboy, he was indeed the sole heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

According to the regulations of the imperial court, the eldest son of a duke already had the status of a fourth-rank official before inheriting the title.

He himself was just a commoner.

"You...you dare!" Wang Sheng said, his voice stern but his voice betraying his fear.

"You can give it a try," Lin Chen said calmly. "Lin Wu."

"Here!" Lin Wu walked in from outside the door, his aura radiating outwards—the pressure of a first-grade martial artist caused Wang Sheng's guards to change their expressions drastically.

"Young Master Wang wants to book the entire venue," Lin Chen said.

"Then ask him to 'take care' of it—brew a pot of every kind of tea in the teahouse, and let Young Master Wang drink it slowly. He can't leave until he finishes it."

"You!" Wang Sheng was so angry that he trembled all over.

"Oh, right," Lin Chen added, "the tea money will still be paid. Young Master Wang is so generous, he shouldn't renege on his debt, right?"

The surrounding guests burst into laughter.

Wang Sheng's face turned a deep purplish-red, but seeing Lin Wu and the few guards vaguely visible outside, he ultimately didn't dare to lash out.

"Let's go!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Wait a minute," Lin Chen called out to him. "Young Master Wang hasn't paid yet. Shopkeeper, let's settle the bill."

The shopkeeper quickly fiddled with the abacus: "Top-grade Longjing, Biluochun, Da Hong Pao... a total of twelve jugs, five taels per jug, sixty taels in total."

Lin Chen looked at Wang Sheng: "Third Young Master Wang, please."

Wang Sheng forced out a few words through gritted teeth: "Give it to him!"

One of the guards took out a silver note and threw it on the table.

Wang Sheng stared intently at Lin Chen: "Lin Chen, I'll remember this!"

"Got it." Lin Chen smiled. "Next time you come, remember to bring more money. My tea isn't cheap."

Wang Sheng and his men left in a sorry state.

Applause erupted inside the teahouse.

"Well done, Young Master Lin!"

"I've disliked that Wang family brat for a long time!"

Wen Ruoxi looked at Lin Chen, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Just now, the aura and skill that Lin Chen displayed were completely unlike those of a seventeen-year-old boy, much less like before.

"Eighth brother," she whispered, "you've changed."

"Has it gotten better or worse?" Lin Chen asked with a smile.

"It's become more reliable," Wen Ruoxi said earnestly.

Lin Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he was about to speak when suddenly the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside.

A guard from the Imperial City Guard rode up on horseback and dismounted in front of the teahouse.

"Young Master Lin!" The guard clasped his hands in greeting. "His Majesty has decreed that you must enter the palace for an audience immediately!"

……

The Imperial Palace, Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Lin Chen followed the eunuch through the many palace gates, his mind racing with calculations.

The Empress's sudden summons was far more than just "showing concern for the descendants of meritorious officials."

Upon reaching the outside of the hall, the eunuch bowed:

"Young Master Lin, please wait a moment while I inform you."

Lin Chen nodded, taking the opportunity to look around.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was where the Dayan Emperor handled state affairs and received important officials; it was heavily guarded.

The eight guards outside the hall, all of whom were first-rank martial artists, carried swords.

There were at least four more hidden auras in the shadows—Grandmasters.

"Summon Lin Chen of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to an audience—"

Lin Chen composed himself and slowly entered the hall.

The hall was spacious and bright, and behind a rosewood desk sat a young woman.

Empress Zhao Lingyang.

She looked to be no more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing a golden crown. She was extremely beautiful, but her eyes and brows carried the majesty of someone who had long held a high position.

He was currently engrossed in reviewing memorials and seemed unaware that someone had entered.

Lin Chen bowed according to etiquette: "This humble subject, Lin Chen, greets Your Majesty."

no respond.

The only sound inside the hall was the soft scratching of a pen tip across paper.

This is a show of force.

Lin Chen understood, but he wasn't in a hurry. He simply maintained his bowed posture, keeping his eyes down and his mind focused.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.

The Empress finally put down her pen and looked up.

In that instant, Lin Chen felt an invisible pressure.

It wasn't the pressure of martial arts, but the majesty of an emperor, mixed with some mysterious spiritual power.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be kneeling on the ground by now.

However, Lin Chen was protected by the Pure Heart Jade Pendant and possessed the perfect state of mind of a Grandmaster, so he simply lowered his head slightly to show respect.

A hint of surprise flashed in the Empress's eyes.

"Rise." She spoke, her voice clear and melodious, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lin Chen straightened up, his gaze landing precisely on the area below the Empress's chin.

Neither impolite nor offensive.

"Do you know why I summoned you to the palace?" the Empress asked.

"This humble subject is ignorant and foolish; please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

The Empress picked up a memorial from the table:

"This is a memorial submitted by Li Chongming, the Minister of Revenue, impeaching your father, Lin Tianxiong, for allegedly misappropriating military funds for personal gain three years ago in the northern border region."

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm: "Your Majesty is wise. My father was loyal to the emperor and loved his country throughout his life. He would never have done such a thing."

"I know." The Empress tossed the memorial aside.

"Now that this memorial has been submitted, there needs to be an explanation. Lin Chen, you are about to inherit the title; some things should be settled."

Lin Chen understood the implied meaning: "Your Majesty means..."

"The war in the North is fraught with doubts." The Empress looked directly at him.

"Your father is a Grandmaster in the late stage, and your seven elder brothers are at least of the third rank."

All eight men were wiped out, and only three sets of remains were recovered—do you believe it?

"This humble citizen...does not believe it."

"So I'm giving you a chance," the Empress said. "You'll attend the Cui family's birthday banquet, won't you?"

"meeting."

"At the banquet, I will arrange for someone to assist you," the Empress said calmly.

"What you need to do is find out the truth."

It's not just about the truth of the Northern War, but also about those people in the court who are plotting against the Lin family and the Zhenbei Army.

Lin Chen was shaken.

Is the Empress using him to clean up the court?