Chapter 58: Receiving Titles and Rewards

Huo Yuchen caught the smile playing at the corners of Lin Pianran's eyes and brows, and he knew instantly that she was in profound agreement with this course of action.

He hastily chimed in, "The Sixth Miss was subjected to groundless framing and malicious incrimination by Lord Lin, and all this right in the Imperial Presence. Behind closed doors, one can only imagine how much harsher and more ruthlessly Lord Lin must have treated her."

"Her days in the Lin household would certainly be miserable hereafter. I beseech Your Majesty to dispense justice for this young woman!"

Lin Pianran continued to heap flattery upon the ruler, "His Majesty governs with unremitting diligence, toiling day and night for the realm, which has brought about a prosperous national fortune and the adoration of all citizens. With a sovereign as wise as Your Majesty, why should we fear that the Great Qin Dynasty will not flourish for thousands of generations to come? Long live Your Majesty, a long life of ten thousand years, and ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

The smile on Emperor Wu of Qin's face deepened perceptibly.

This little girl possessed a silver tongue!

Her words were immensely pleasing to the ear.

The seasoned eunuch attending Emperor Wu of Qin was a master at reading expressions and knew precisely what to say at any given moment.

He stepped closer and murmured a reminder, "Your Majesty, the Sixth Miss is none other than the 'divine archer' who rescued the Eldest Princess two days ago."

The Eldest Princess, having entered the hall at some unknown point, blinked her lovely eyes vigorously at Emperor Wu of Qin, displaying a rare and charming playfulness.

It was as if she were reminding Emperor Wu of Qin to fulfill his promise of rewarding her savior.

Buoyed by the lavish praise, Emperor Wu of Qin felt his spirits lift considerably.

"Lin Pianran, you were the 'divine archer' who saved my Eldest Princess from the wolf pack a few days ago, were you not?"

"This subject's daughter dares not claim such credit!"

"Lin Pianran is of a gentle disposition, both graceful and intelligent. In recognition of her meritorious service in saving the Eldest Princess as well as the scions and daughters of noble houses, she is hereby conferred the title of Princess Yuhua. She is further bestowed with one thousand liang of gold, two chests of calligraphy and paintings, two boxes of jewelry and ornaments, along with a box of South Sea pearls..."

"This subject receives the imperial decree and expresses utmost gratitude!"

Lin Pianran had not anticipated such an unexpected and magnificent windfall today.

She hastily dropped to her knees to voice her gratitude.

The members of the Lin family, who had yet to withdraw, stood frozen like wooden chickens upon hearing that Lin Pianran had been ennobled as a Princess, utterly dumbfounded on the spot.

They all found it entirely incomprehensible.

Having just severed ties with the Lin family,

she had instantly become a titled noble.

What kind of absurd stroke of immense fortune was this?

Had they not severed relations, their Lin family would have boasted a titled noble princess, bringing great honor to their lineage.

Now, everything had vanished into thin air.

Lin Chuyan's eyes were red with envy.

She was on the verge of being taken into custody, while Lin Pianran had ascended to the rank of a titled princess.

This felt like a resounding slap to her face.

It was as though Lin Pianran were mocking her.

It left her utterly disgraced and nearly spitting blood.

Given her naturally proud and fiercely competitive disposition, when had she ever endured such humiliation?

From childhood, she had been the apple of her family's eye and the favored child of heaven in the eyes of outsiders.

Cherished beyond measure within the Lin household, all the finest resources of the family had been lavished upon her.

Before outsiders, she served as the Princess's study companion, surrounded by none other than princesses, imperial princes, or the exceptionally wealthy scions of high-ranking officials.

She had always believed herself to stand atop the clouds, looking down upon all living beings.

Yet now, Lin Pianran had overtaken her from behind, directly sealed as a princess of high rank.

From this day forward, she would have to look up to Lin Pianran and endure the contempt of others.

This was something she could never tolerate.

Even more intolerable to her was Huo Yuchen's attitude.

She had finally laid eyes upon this peerlessly noble man of her dreams.

Yet his gaze bypassed her entirely, lingering instead to speak favorably on behalf of that Lin Pianran whom she detested with every fiber of her being.

Such a stark contrast threatened to drive her mad.

A gaze burning with jealousy, fury, and malice erupted within Lin Chuyan's eyes, though she quickly managed to conceal it beneath a calm exterior.

Perhaps the Prince of Chang would prove to be a worthwhile choice for her after all.

The Prince of Chang currently basked in the height of imperial favor, whereas Huo Yuchen was merely an unfavored crown prince holding an empty title.

Throughout successive dynasties, examples of crown princes being deposed and meeting tragic ends were countless.

Conversely, imperial princes elevated to the dragon throne due to imperial favor were far too numerous to list.

Calculated thusly, the Prince of Chang still held a remarkably high chance of ascending the throne in the future.

Reflecting upon this, Lin Chuyan's agitated mind settled somewhat. With a seductive and enchanting air, she murmured softly to the Prince of Chang standing beside her, "Your Highness, in this subject's daughter's heart, you are the finest of men. I shall await your good news; you must not keep me waiting for too long."

Once the entire company had retreated from the Zhaoyang Palace...

Zhao Yurou strode directly up to Lin Pianran, glaring at her with venomous fury, and scolded, "Lin Pianran, you ungrateful wretch, you've certainly grown bold and full of yourself. How dare you spout nonsense before the Emperor? Do you truly believe that being conferred the title of a princess allows you to ride roughshod over the Lin family? You are still young and utterly drunk on your fleeting arrogance! Even if you have become a princess now, crushing you—a homeless little beggar—remains as effortless as turning over a hand. Do not forget that your adoptive mother is still within our Lin family! Could it be that you intend to abandon her as well?"

Lin Pianran's eyes flickered slightly; she knew full well that this was an attempt to threaten her through her adoptive mother, Su Qingfeng.

However, she felt no fear.

Several days prior, she had already dispatched a letter to her adoptive mother, apprising her of the poisoning incident.

She trusted that her adoptive mother would heed her advice, return to her maiden family—the Marquis of Yong'en's estate—and seek their help and protection.

After all these years, her adoptive mother's heart had long since grown cold; she would no longer harbor any lingering affection for that utterly worthless scoundrel, Lin Haodong.

Lin Pianran offered a sweet, saccharine smile and retorted tit for tat, "If I hadn't grown a strong backbone and a daring heart, I would have already been devoured down to the bones by wolves and tigers like you. Fortunately, His Majesty is wise and discerning, shattering all your schemes and plots into nothingness. Since the Lin family has incurred the imperial wrath today, you would do well to tuck your tails between your legs and maintain a low profile hereafter. Otherwise, the next punishment won't simply be a matter of settling accounts with words!"

At that moment, two palace matrons seized the still-raging Zhao Yurou. One forced her down to her knees on the floor, while the other stepped forward and unhesitatingly commenced the punishment.

The crisp, resounding sound of slaps echoed clearly, exceptionally pleasant to the ear.

Lin Pianran could not resist delivering a parting jab, "Dear Madam, no matter how enchanting a face may be, thirty slaps will leave it far from lovely..."

She then rummaged through her sleeves, withdrew two promissory notes, and picked out one, shaking it vigorously. "Since we have severed family ties, even close brothers must settle accounts clearly! It would be best for Madam to quickly clear the silver owed on this promissory note."

"Otherwise, once your reputation as a chronic debtor spreads far and wide, you won't even have the face to show yourself in public!"

She then walked over to Lin Haosong. "Lord Lin, this is the note written by the Second Madam. Would you care to check it and settle the debt on her behalf?"

"You..."

Lin Haosong pointed a trembling finger at Lin Pianran, burning with a desire to curse aloud, but recalling that they were surrounded by people, he managed to swallow his rage.

Unwillingly and with extreme resentment, he drew out fifteen hundred liang in silver notes and handed them to Lin Pianran.

Then, snatching back the debt acknowledgment, he tore it into absolute smithereens.

The look he cast at Lin Pianran was venomous with malice as he issued a final warning, "Having left the Lin family, you are nothing more than a stray dog without a home. Let us see just how much longer you can afford to be smug!"