Because he had xiaomi guōbā and caramel milk tea in the afternoon, he didn’t feel too hungry even though it was almost dinner time!

Lin Fei thought about it and went directly to see Marquis Jingyun.

The place where Marquis Jingyun met him was the study, which was an important place in Marquis Jingyun’s mansion. It was obviously not for a personal matter that he chose to meet Lin Fei in this place.

Lin Fei lowered his eyebrows before entering the door, as if he already knew why Marquis Jingyun was looking for him.

After entering the door, he saw the usually amiable Marquis Jingyun, who opened his mouth without a smile and called out “Ah Fei,” then pointed to the seat in front of him and said, “Sit down!”

Lin Fei did not move his feet but instead raised his eyes to look at Marquis Jingyun: ‘Father, did you call for me because I entered into the palace? “

He still liked to get straight to the point! Marquis Jingyun sighed and said, “Why did you enter the palace?”

Lin Fei raised his eyes to look at Marquis Jingyun. His movements did not change, and he did not answer immediately but asked Marquis Jingyun, “I specifically instructed the people below me. How did Father know about my entry into the palace?”

Marquis Jingyun, who was questioned, said, “As a father, I care about my son…”

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Lin Fei, “Why did you lie to me, Father? There must be someone else who told Father about my entry into the palace!”

Marquis Jingyun looked at Lin Fei, who was neither humble nor arrogant in front of him. After a long silence, he spoke again, “A Fei, I didn’t stop you from entering the Dali Temple, but this position can be easy to offend people sometimes!”

Lin Fei’s entry into the palace was indeed something others had told Marquis Jingyun about. Marquis Jingyun had been able to hold his position steadily, so he was naturally no fool; his second son usually dealt with cases in his daily work, and most often it was because the cases at hand became entangled with certain people.

But this time, it seemed like he was involved in a lot of things. Too many people came to him to remind him that he should change his job or department for Lin Fei.

He couldn’t afford to offend so many people at a single time!

The entire Jingyun Marquisate depended on him. He didn’t dare to gamble with the entire Marquisate. Perhaps because he was getting older and had more concerns, he didn’t dare!

This time, his colleagues came to greet him, seemingly politely, but how could he not know the threat hidden beneath the politeness?

At this, Lin Fei raised his eyes to look at Marquis Jingyun and spoke earnestly: ‘Father, could you tell me who the people were that came to see you?’ He said, “This vile matter was no ordinary affair—those people must have been among the culprits!”

Marquis Jingyun looked at Lin Fei, who looked serious and did not seem to be pretending: “…”

After a long silence, he finally could not help but speak: “Ah Fei, why not hand this matter over to Zhao Mengzhuo? He is the Qing of the Dali Temple, and as the superior, it is only right that he bear this responsibility!”

But Lin Fei shook his head and said, “If we hand it over to Zhao Mengzhuo, this matter will most likely go wrong!” He paused and said, “Those people are so well-informed. I’m afraid that the evidence we have worked so hard to find may disappear one day!”

Of course, Marquis Jingyun was not unaware of what Lin Fei meant. After thinking for a moment, he was just about to speak when he heard Lin Fei speak again: ‘Father, do you think that now that I have already entered the palace and met the Emperor, pulling back would still be of any use? “

“The Emperor already knew of this matter, yet if I were to pull back now and hand the case over to Zhao Mengzhuo in haste, then when His Majesty is ready to act, the evidence would suddenly be gone. Not only would that leave both me and the Emperor in an awkward position, but I would also have already offended people!” Lin Fei said. “By then, I would not only have offended the petty villains, but I would also have lost my bond with His Majesty. That would truly be disastrous!”

This speech silenced Marquis Jingyun again. After a long pause, he sighed and asked Lin Fei, “Is Your Majesty truly prepared to act?”

Lin Fei replied, “Are those who have come to look for my father among those who, like the Late Emperor, are devoted to the mystical way?” They were likely the ones who would pull this off.

Marquis Jingyun glanced at him, not denying it, but understanding Lin Fei’s point.

His Majesty had always sought to completely resolve the scourge left behind by the Late Emperor. This was the case with Goguryeo, and this case was likely to be no different.

How could the second son be inflexible and adaptable? It was obvious that he knew His Majesty too well! He dared not say a word and went straight into the palace without even coming back home, because he knew that if he came home first, he would be stopped by him.

Now that he had entered the palace and His Majesty knew about this matter, it was clear that this matter was on the verge of happening!

Now that things had come to this, it was useless to stop, so it was better to give it a try! Marquis Jingyun looked at Lin Fei and said quietly, “You should be thankful that the Majesty you met is not obsessed with the mysterious way but wants to be a wise ruler!”

Lin Fei glanced at Marquis Jingyun with a strange look in his eyes: “Father, have you forgotten that His Majesty and I have known each other for many years?”

It was precisely because of their previous acquaintance that he dared to be sure that giving it a try was a certainty, not just a fluke, and that he had met a wise ruler!

Looking at his second son leaving, Marquis Jingyun sighed in front of the study door: the weather was changing!

…

The weather was getting colder, and a bowl of warm soup was perfect! Back in the house, Lin Fei took a sip of the reheated pig’s trotter soup from the small stove. The soothing soup with the aroma of pepper and spicy taste really suited his appetite.

He liked all the food made by Master Wen, but about Wen Xuance…

Actually, there were some things he hadn’t told his father just now.

After meeting His Majesty, he met Du Lingmou, who came to the palace to see His Majesty. He and Du Lingmou didn’t have much friendship, so after meeting, he nodded slightly and retracted his gaze, striding forward.

But after taking two steps, he was stopped by Du Lingmou behind him.

“Young Master Lin!”

Lin Fei turned back. Du Lingmou, wrapped in his official robe in the cold wind, seemed a little chilled, his shoulders shrinking as if shivering, making him look somewhat comical. Yet his face was stern and displeased: “The craving of the tongue must be restrained. Among the world, there were many skilled in the art of cooking—your palace kitchen’s cook was by no means the only one!”

Although they hadn’t deliberately spread the word, the food brought out by Yu Jijiu and others had spread quickly these days. Many people simply didn’t come in person, but quite a few officials had tasted the snacks.

So… Du Lingmou naturally knew about this.

Lin Fei looked at the serious and dissatisfied Du Lingmou, his expression unchanged: “Lord Du is the Minister of the Central Secretariat. My Dali Temple is an independent organization and has nothing to do with Lord Du, let alone places like the public kitchen!”

Was this a sign that he was meddling in other people’s business? A hint of anger flashed in Du Lingmou’s eyes. He was very dissatisfied with Lin Fei’s seemingly calm but actually sarcastic words. He opened his mouth and said, “Wen Xuance’s crimes were heinous, but his daughter is now under the protection of your Dali Temple, living a safe and secure life there. Is this right, Lin Shaoqing?”

Lin Fei looked at Du Lingmou, and a rare hint of anger appeared on his usually calm face. “Are you dissatisfied with the punishment given to Wen Xuance back then, Lord Du? If you are not satisfied, you can simply write to His Majesty to review the punishment! All the male members of the family were beheaded, and the female relatives who were sent to the Jiaofang committed suicide. Only two young girls were allowed to enter the Ye Ting! These girls were only eight years old when they entered the Ye Ting. They were tortured by palace servants in every way, almost drowned in the river, and were treated harshly several times. Doesn’t Lord Du know where all this torture and mistreatment came from?”

“Her imprisonment in the palace was a sentence imposed under the laws of the country. If Lord Du feels this is too lenient, he can petition for a retrial! Furthermore, if Lord Du and Wen Xuance have a life-and-death feud, then to treat a young girl so harshly is excessive. Not to mention that you and Wen Xuance only had political differences, yet you harbor such a grudge that you mistreat a young girl you’ve never met!” At this point, Lin Fei looked at Du Lingmou, whose expression was grim, and sneered, “Lord Du is truly too narrow-minded. No wonder he can’t reach that position of understanding!”

(End of this chapter)

---

T/N Yes Lin Fei standing up for our girl!!!