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

Chapter 334 Changing Course South

Three days later.

The imperial procession slowly strolled out of Xijing City.

On both sides of the city gate, people knelt on the ground, a dark mass stretching from the city gate to the end of the street, like weeds being harvested, one crop after another.

"Take care, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness must come again!"

The shouts came in waves.

An old man with a cane was trembling so badly that his hands were shaking like a leaf, but he was still waving it around.

Several peddlers chased the carriage for a long distance before being stopped by the guards.

Lin Chen leaned against the carriage, lifted the curtain and glanced inside, a smirk playing on his lips.

"With this kind of commotion, anyone who didn't know better would think I'm dead."

After saying that, he flicked the curtain and continued to close his eyes to rest.

Lan Fenghuang sat opposite him, holding a grape in her hand, the skin of which she had peeled clean, and fed it to his mouth:

"Husband, can't you say something auspicious?"

"I'm telling the truth," Lin Chen mumbled, chewing on a grape.

"Look at that old man, he's crying like he's lost his own son."

Yao Yao lay down next to him, her legs dangling back and forth, humming a little tune that she had picked up from some brothel, completely off-key.

Liu Shengxue leaned against the corner, flipping through sheet music quietly, occasionally gesturing with her fingers on her knees.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao sat next to her sister, wearing the white jade hairpin in her hair.

She would steal glances at Lin Chen every now and then, then look down, only to glance again, like a thief.

The carriage swayed and rattled out of the city gate.

At the city gate, Chen Mingyuan and several officials stood in a row, bowing respectfully.

Lin Chen lifted the car curtain and gestured with his chin towards him:

"Old Chen, I'm leaving Xijing to you. Don't cause any trouble."

Chen Mingyuan was bent over like a shrimp, but his voice was very loud:

"Your humble servant will certainly not fail in your trust, Your Highness!"

Lin Chen waved his hand, and the curtain fell.

The carriage continued forward.

Yao Yao peered out the window for a while, then turned back and asked, "Husband, where are we going next?"

Lin Chen leaned back on the cushion, one hand resting on Liu Shengxue's leg, the other holding a wine glass, and slowly took a sip:

"Head south, wherever it takes us."

"Will there be corrupt officials at the next stop?"

"We'll only know if it's there or not when we get there."

Yao Yao said "Oh," then lay back down to look at the scenery, her legs continuing to swing.

……

In the days that followed, the group continued southwards.

Walking and stopping, stopping and walking.

If there are corrupt officials, kill them; if there are bandits, eliminate them; if there's nothing, just enjoy the scenery, eat local specialties, and stay for a day or two before leaving.

However, wherever they went, those with guilty consciences had already vanished without a trace.

Those who could run away did so, and those who couldn't had a variety of methods—some hanged themselves, some drowned themselves, some took poison, and some slit their throats with knives; each one more ruthless than the last.

When Lin Chen arrived, there was basically only a corpse and a suicide note left.

The suicide note was incredibly moving, filled with phrases like "ashamed of failing the Emperor's grace" and "unworthy to live on," its language as elaborate as a college entrance exam essay.

In a certain county, the magistrate fled, leaving behind a suicide note on his desk.

Lin Chen picked it up, glanced at it, and then threw it on the table with a "tsk".

"If you really felt guilty, why didn't you do something about it earlier? Why wait until someone comes to you to feel guilty?"

A man standing next to Yanda Station asked, "My lord, the person has escaped. Should we give chase?"

"Why chase them? They ran away, so what? As long as the family fortune is still there." Lin Chen waved his hand.

"Seize his property and return it to the people. Also, find out where he ran off to, issue an arrest warrant to various places, arrest him if you can, and let it go if you can't."

Lan Fenghuang peeled an orange beside her and handed her a segment: "Husband, aren't you afraid they'll run off to another country?"

Lin Chen opened his mouth, took it, chewed it twice, and smiled:

"Go ahead and run away. Even if you're an official of Dayan, you might not be well received in other countries."

Besides, he's left all his family fortune behind; if he runs away, he'll be penniless anyway. What trouble could he possibly cause?

Yao Yao leaned closer: "What if they've hidden some money away?"

Lin Chen was taken aback for a moment. "You've reminded me."

Turning to Yan, he shouted, "Be thorough when you search! Turn over every cellar and hidden compartment in the walls, don't let those bastards hide the money!"

Yan Da clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate understands!"

Later on, there were more and more such places, and Lin Chen became too lazy to even go into the county government office.

Upon arriving at a location, they directly instructed Yenching University to audit the accounts.

Once the accounts are settled, leave.

If the accounts are unclear, investigate the individuals involved.

The person has fled; their assets are being investigated.

The family property was still there; they confiscated it.

If the family fortune is gone, then check the account books and trace the line down; you're bound to find something.

Yan Da and his team were busy running around, exhausted like dogs.

Lin Chen took a few women to stroll around the city, enjoying the scenery, eating local specialties, listening to folk songs, and occasionally visiting brothels. He lived a very comfortable life.

Yao Yao sometimes couldn't help but ask, "Husband, are we here on a hunting expedition or just for fun?"

Lin Chen said with a serious face, "Of course we're here for a hunting expedition. We'll have some fun while we're on the go."

"When shall we go play again?"

Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, I heard there's a lake up ahead with nice scenery."

Yao Yao: "..."

The next day, they went to the lake.

The lake isn't large, but the water is so clear it's like a mirror, reflecting the mountains and clouds like a painting.

Lin Chen found a big tree, spread a blanket under its shade, lay down on it, crossed his legs, and ate a blade of grass with his mouth, watching several women playing in the lake.

Lan Fenghuang sat next to him and fanned him with a fan, gently and slowly.

Yao Yao dragged Liu Sheng Piao Piao along the lakeside to pick up stones, squatting there turning them over and over like panning for gold.

Liu Shengxue sat on a rock by the water, with a zither on her lap. She plucked the strings, and music flowed out, much better than before.

After listening for a while, Lin Chen reached out and pulled Lan Fenghuang over, letting her lean against him.

Blue Phoenix rolled her eyes: "It's broad daylight, be careful."

"What are you being careful about? There's no one around." Lin Chen placed his hand on her waist, casually stroking it, his eyes narrowed, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"Your waist, wow."

"What are you tsk about?"

"Tsk, tsk."

Lan Fenghuang smiled helplessly and didn't break free.

Just then, Yao Yao ran back, clutching a handful of colorful stones. She spread them out in front of Lin Chen, her eyes sparkling.

"Husband, look! Isn't it beautiful?"

Lin Chen looked down and saw that they came in all shapes and sizes: red, white, green, round, flat, and patterned.

He nodded: "It looks good."

Yao Yao was delighted and ran back to pick up more.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao followed behind her, clutching a few stones in her hand. Her face was flushed, and her hair swayed as she ran. She would occasionally glance at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen waved to her.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao paused for a moment, hesitated for two seconds, and then ran over in small steps.

"Brother-in-law."

Lin Chen took a stone from her hand and looked at it—it was a small white pebble, round and smooth, quite pretty.

He casually tucked it into his pocket: "I'll take this."

Liu Sheng Piaopiao's face flushed red instantly, down to her ears. She lowered her head and spoke in a voice barely audible:

"As long as my brother-in-law is happy."

After saying that, he turned around and ran away.

After running a couple of steps, I almost tripped over a stone. I cried out "Ouch!" and steadied myself before running back to the lakeside without looking back.

Lan Fenghuang laughed so hard she trembled in his arms: "Husband, you're teasing that young girl again."

Lin Chen chuckled and pinched her waist: "Mind your own business."

Lan Fenghuang glared at her, "If I don't care about you, who will?"

"Mind your own business, mind your own business." Lin Chen buried his face in her chest and chuckled softly.

We spent the afternoon by the lake, and only started heading back when the sun was about to set.

The setting sun dyed half the sky orange-red, and the lake surface shimmered with gold, as if sprinkled with gold.

Lin Chen walked at the very back, his hands tucked into his sleeves, swaying slowly.

Yao Yao skipped and hopped ahead, calling out as she walked:

"Husband, hurry up! You're dawdling like an old man!"

"What's it to you?"

Liu Sheng Piaopiao followed beside her, taking small, hurried steps, the white jade hairpin in her hair swaying back and forth.

Lan Fenghuang and Liu Shengxue walked side by side in front, the setting sun casting long, long shadows of them on the ground, overlapping each other.

Lin Chen was looking at it for a while when he suddenly stopped.

I glanced back up the mountain.

There was nothing on the mountain except the sound of the wind rustling through the treetops.

He squinted and looked for a few seconds.

Then he looked away, put his hands back in his sleeves, and continued walking slowly forward.

The laughter from ahead drifted over on the wind.

Lin Chen's lips curled up slightly, and he quickened his pace.