Chapter 24: Court Session

Sure enough, not long after, Aunt Liu brought a group of people and carried five boxes.

"Miss, all the jewelry left by Lady Hou is here. Take your time to count them, I will take my leave." Aunt Liu said stiffly.

Lin Yannan sighed softly, "Yes, we do need to count."

Mrs. Liu's face stiffened. She had only made a polite remark, but now the young miss really wanted to count.

Mrs. Liu couldn't help but look at Mrs. Li, worried in her heart. She had been under Mrs. Li's supervision before and knew that she was very shrewd. Otherwise, the lady wouldn't have been so eager to send her away. Who would have thought that the Shen family would bring Mrs. Li back today?

有这个老家伙在，夫人做的手脚怕是瞒不过。

刘妈一走，李妈妈就拿出一份清单，开始一一比对。

“李妈妈，你居然留了清单？”林晏晏服气了。

As Mrs. Li deftly checked off items on the list, she said, "When the lady was seriously ill, I took the opportunity to tally up all her belongings and made a list. I thought, just in case the Marquis decides to remarry in the future... However, I never expected that the Marquis, being someone who values loyalty and affection, would not remarry. It turns out that Second Madam has set her eyes on these possessions."

However, after the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the counting of the five boxes was completed. Li Mama handed the list to Lin Yannan and said, "Thirty-two pieces of gold jewelry are missing. All of these gold jewelry were made by Sun Ji, a well-known old brand in Yangzhou. They have markings on them."

Lin Yannan glanced and said, "Jin Xin, take this list and go to the Ci'en Hall. Give it to the old lady and say that we have finished counting."

As for whether the grandmother will punish Yao Shi and how she will do it, she doesn't care. Anyway, Yao Shi won't have a good outcome this time.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, Lin Yannan heard that her grandmother had asked her third aunt to assist Yao Shi in managing the meal, on the grounds that Yao Shi had been in poor health recently.

What a refreshing day it turned out to be!

随即又收到陆昭南送来的帖子，说下午来拜访。

这是墨渊阁自立门户后第一次接待客人，都不用林晏晏操心，李妈妈便安排起来，洒扫的，布置客厅的，采买的……有条不紊。

“哎呀，糟了，这次来没带厨娘。”李妈妈犯难，现有的婢女里都不会做菜，她自己也只会煮点简单的吃食。

“要不……去酒楼定一桌？”这是最省事的。

Lin Yannan smiled and said, "I have been ill for the past few years and can only eat small amounts of food every day. I often feel hungry and anxious. So I have been researching food supplements and medicinal diets every day. I think that when I get better one day, I want to personally prepare some delicious dishes. Today, I will give it a try."

Li's mother was surprised and hesitant. Should we try it with an important guest?



Ahem... Miss, we have plenty of time to try it, there's no need to do it today.

In her past life, her mother was an expert in medicinal cuisine. She paid great attention to what to eat throughout the year and the meals of the day. As a result, their family had very good health. Although she never personally cooked, she learned a lot from hearing and seeing, and had a general idea. Please let me know if you need any further assistance with the translation.

Moreover, over the past few years, Jingyuan has suffered from illness due to his efforts to consolidate his position and conserve his strength. Despite having a good foundation, he cannot withstand such self-torture. Therefore, Lin Yannan wants to use dietary therapy to help Jingyuan recover.

Do it if you want to. If we can earn the recognition of Lu Zhaonan and the others today, it will prove that the medicinal diet is feasible.



Finally, the emperor said, "Let's adjourn the court for today."

The ministers secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that it was finally over.

Just then, someone without tact stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial." Please note that the translations may not keep the exact same number of @ symbols.

Upon seeing, everyone recognized it was Lord Shi from the Imperial Censorate. Inwardly, they all clenched their teeth, wishing they could throw their tablets at Lord Shi. Why did this guy always have to be such a killjoy? Please note that the use of "@" in the original text seems to be used for emphasis or to reference someone or something. There is no direct equivalent in English, so it is not preserved in the translation.

The Emperor, who hadn't completely raised his royal behind, sat back on the Dragon Throne with a hint of impatience, saying, "What has Prefect Shi to report?" "Reporting to Your Majesty, I want to accuse the Duke of Jinguo of being lax in managing his household and betraying trust. I also accuse the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Mr. Lin, of being lax in managing his household and corrupting the moral atmosphere," said the outraged Imperial Censor Shi, stating the reasons for his accusations.



"This matter is already widely known in the streets and alleys and has had a extremely negative impact. I request Your Majesty to punish strictly and rectify the atmosphere," commented Stone Imperial Censor firmly.

The Emperor's brows furrowed slightly, as if lost in thought. It's no wonder Duke of Jing country has been absent from court these past few days, it seems there is a reason behind it.

"The Marquis of Dian'an was a meritorious statesman who tragically sacrificed his life for the country. Furthermore, his wife had already passed away, leaving behind two pitiful children. It is indeed inappropriate for the Duke's residence of the State of Jin to act in this manner," the Emperor said.

The Third Prince, Xiaochong, kept sending signals to the Minister of Personnel, indicating him to speak a few words on behalf of the Duke of Jingguo. The Duke of Jingguo is his maternal grandfather. If the impeachment today is proven true, it will inevitably implicate him. The power struggle between him and the eldest prince, the heir to the throne, is now at a critical moment.

Minister of Personnel received the information and said: "Your Majesty, according to my knowledge, the request for breaking off the marriage was initiated by Miss Lin, the daughter of Marquis Ding'an."

The Imperial Censor said indignantly: "If Miss Lin initiated the request, then the Duke of Jingguo's residence has no fault? Miss Lin has no fault? It is true that Sir Zhu has developed feelings for Miss Lin, the second daughter of the Lin family. Being the daughter of Marquis Ding'an, Miss Lin has a strong personality and cannot tolerate such a despicable matter. Should she not seek to annul the engagement and settle for a compromise? Moreover, according to my knowledge, it was the Duke of Jingguo's residence who returned the marriage contract first."

Originally, everyone was exhausted and uninterested in discussing matters. But who would have expected that Lord Shi would bring up this matter, instantly sparking everyone's interest as if they had been injected with vitality.

You see, this matter had been secretly discussed among us for several days. However, Duke of Jin is a prominent official of the current dynasty, and Lady Zhu is in charge of the six palaces and wields the power of the empress. On the other hand, the other party involved, Mr. Lin Zhongkun, is a representative figure of the current orthodox faction. No one wants to offend these two influential forces, so the imperial censors at the Imperial Censorate have been turning a blind eye. Who could have expected that Lord Shi, who has always been straightforward and ignorant of the current situation, would publicly accuse Duke of Jin and Mr. Lin.

Another minister has stepped forward: "Is there any evidence that Zhu Gongzi and Lin Erxiaojie have feelings for each other in secret?"

Shi Yushi scoffed: "During the peach blossom banquet at Princess Xinyang's residence a few days ago, many of the ministers' children attended, right? Just investigate and you'll find out. What more evidence do you need? Do you have to catch them in bed to consider it evidence?"

The crowd shook their heads one after another, vulgar, too vulgar, how could such words be spoken in the Imperial Palace?

However, why does this statement sound so exhilarating?

The Emperor raised his hand and the arguing ministers quieted down.

"Master Shi, I will investigate this matter thoroughly before making a decision."

现在叫他处置，他也不好处置，说白了，这是定安侯府和晋国公府的家务事，有道是，清官难断家务事。但定安侯有功于朝廷，有功于社稷，定安侯之女受了这等气，还是要安抚一下的。

Shi Yusushi knew that the emperor was just perfunctory, so he said, "I request Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate and severely punish. This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated for long."