Chapter 24: Opening the Ghost Eyes

Huai Ze, in order to show that he wasn’t backing down, deliberately waited for a moment before continuing:

[According to the original fate, after Lin Xu strangled Xu Wanyin, it was his father, who worked in the Ministry of Justice, that helped erase the evidence. They closed the case by claiming it was a suicide.]

Fang Yuean: [So, after Sister Xu’s tragic death, that demon didn’t face any punishment.]

She raised her hand and looked at the gold bracelet on her wrist. She remembered the day of the family reunion banquet when Sister Xu had said, “Next time I come, I’ll bring you the cold yuanzi I made with my own hands.”

It was the height of summer, and the weather was very hot. She really wanted to eat the cold yuanzi that Sister Xu made, so Sister Xu couldn’t be harmed.

She had received Sister Xu’s gift, and she also wanted to avenge her according to the fate that was supposed to happen.

Huai Ze continued: [Lin Xu’s father had taken bribes multiple times, using his power to help people avoid punishment, causing many innocent people to be imprisoned while the real criminals went free.]

[Lin Xu’s grandfather, Lord Lin, had been embezzling for years. He appeared to live a humble life, but in reality, his home was filled to the brim with gold, silver, and jewels.]

[As for Xu Wanyin’s grandfather, people thought he died from a bee sting, the result of a honeybee’s venom. In truth, he had discovered major evidence against Lord Lin and was killed by people sent by Lin Xu’s family, who used bees to sting him to death.]

[The Lin family isn’t sure if Xu Wanyin’s grandfather knew this, but they’re afraid to act immediately, lest it raise suspicion. For now, they have people keeping an eye on the Xu family.]

[And now, your appearance has prevented the engagement between the Fang and Xu families from being delayed. I suspect that Lord Lin is extremely uneasy right now, fearing that once the families are fully united, the situation might change. Xu Wanyin might eliminate her grandfather before the marriage and, using Lin Xu’s plan to harm your older brother, might further sabotage the wedding.]

Fang Yuean asked: [Does Xu Wanyin know the truth?]

Huai Ze: [Of course, he noticed the suspicious nature of Xu Wanyin’s sudden accident, but he feared it would implicate the entire family. So he kept the evidence hidden and pretended not to know anything, focusing only on the family’s mourning and waiting for the right opportunity to reveal the truth.]

[According to the original fate, after your older brother was imprisoned, Xu Wanyin’s grandfather went out, contacted his former students and colleagues, and tried to make it appear as though he was taking action. When he went out of the city to visit Xu Wanyin’s grandfather’s grave, the plan was to frighten the horse, causing it to throw him from the carriage and kill him.]

Fang Yuean: [No wonder Xu Wanyin’s grandfather let Lin Xu forcefully marry Sister Xu. He must have already been gone by that time.]

Fang Yuean twisted her neck and stretched her arms, preparing to go all out. But upon seeing Qin Xuan still bathing Er Er, she had no choice but to crawl into bed first.

Qin Xuan noticed the silence and sighed softly. After finishing washing Er Er, she put on a thin robe and laid her down on the bed.

Leaning against the edge of the bed, Qin Xuan gently waved a fan, cooling the two of them.

Once their hair dried and they gradually fell asleep under the blankets, Qin Xuan quietly left and went to Fang Xunli’s study.

She shared everything she had heard with her son.

Fang Xunli was initially shocked but quickly composed himself. “Mother, I heard that the Western Expeditionary Army will be returning soon, and after a few days, the Emperor will reward the soldiers and hold a banquet for the generals and their families.”

Although his father’s fate remained unknown, the marshal had also disappeared after the war.

The victory in this battle could not have been achieved without the contribution of the Fang family, so the Emperor would definitely reward them.

This could be a good opportunity to meet the Emperor in person.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the Xu family and subtly ask Xu Wanyin’s grandfather for his opinion. If he agrees, I’ll take the evidence and present it to the Emperor when I get the chance to meet him.”

Qin Xuan listened carefully, her gaze focused on the flickering candlelight. After a moment of thought, she nodded.

“Under the watchful eyes of the Lin family, Xu Wanyin’s grandfather is probably afraid to trust anyone right now. He certainly wouldn’t act recklessly.”

“You are one of the few people he would trust, and you can move freely in and out of the Xu family without raising suspicion from the Lin family.”

“However, since the date for the palace banquet has not been set, it might be a while. If we follow Huai Ze’s predictions, both you and Xu Wanyin’s grandfather are in danger right now. If we wait too long, I won’t be at ease.”

Fang Xunli sighed lightly. “At this moment, the key issue is that we have no trustworthy person. Even if we get the evidence from Xu Wanyin’s grandfather, there’s no one who can help me enter the palace to present it to the Emperor. If the banquet is too far away…”

He paused, thinking. “I’ve heard a few things about the man who drowned from the students at the National Academy. Before Xu Wanyin’s grandfather mourned, he served as the Academy’s head for a year, so he must know more about the victims. Tomorrow, I’ll ask him. If we can learn more, the elder from the victim’s family might be someone trustworthy who can present the information to the Emperor.”

Qin Xuan nodded slowly, her eyes focused. “It’s worth a try.”

Looking at her son, who was becoming more determined and calculating, Qin Xuan felt a deep sense of pride.

He had truly grown up, becoming a man capable of supporting a great cause.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Xuan added, “In that case, tomorrow I will accompany you under the guise of discussing the wedding details to cover for you. At that time, you can speak openly with Xu Wanyin’s grandfather and see if this approach will work.”

She clenched the handkerchief tightly. “Our two families are truly bound by fate now.”

In the deep of night, while everyone was asleep, Fang Yuean quietly climbed out of bed, dressed, and sneaked out through the window and dog door.

Under the moonlight, a small figure moved swiftly.

Fang Yuean yawned: [First, I’ll go to the Lin family to open Lin Xu’s ghost eyes.]

Huai Ze obediently led the way, having long given up on trying to stop her.

Fang Yuean crawled into the Lin family estate through the dog hole, found Lin Xu’s Residence, climbed through a window, and quietly approached Lin Xu’s bed.

She focused on Lin Xu’s eyes and stretched out two fingers, preparing to wipe them.

But just as she was about to do so, Lin Xu turned over, facing the inner side of the bed.

Fang Yuean climbed onto the bed, moved to the other side, and reached out again.

Lin Xu scratched his eyebrows and put his arm over his forehead, covering his eyes.

Fang Yuean, already sweating profusely, lost her patience and, in a fit of anger, grabbed Lin Xu’s sleeve, yanked his arm away, and slapped him across the face.

[Stay still!]

If her spiritual energy weren’t so weak, she wouldn’t have had to come personally at such a late hour.

Huai Ze’s heart almost leapt out of his chest, shouting: [If you do this, he’ll wake up!]

He was so frightened he covered his eyes with his wings.

Lin Xu scratched his face but didn’t wake up.

Fang Yuean raised her hand and lightly wiped over his eyes. A faint glow flashed.

She then got off the bed, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

[When he wakes up tomorrow, he’ll see ghosts. Let’s go to the place where the victim’s soul is sealed.]

As she exited the Lin family estate, she moved around the grounds, and with a flick of her hand, sparks of light flew from her fingers, gently floating through the estate.

[This is my hidden spiritual energy. It’ll ensure that all the ghosts will flock here, turning the Lin family estate into a gathering place for a hundred ghosts.]

Leaving the Lin family, Fang Yuean headed to the National Academy.