LOT – Chapter 119 Carried to Court

Lin Mo and Bai Xiao were busy discussing how to sneak out.

【I could get out on my own, but what about you? If I carry you, your waist will definitely get pressed against me. Can you endure it?】

Bai Xiao looked at Lin Mo lying on the ground with a troubled face.

They’d only come out to pick something, and somehow she ended up injured. Truly, too difficult.

Lin Mo took a deep breath, clenched her teeth, and resolved: 【Carry me out! I can endure it!】

Five seconds later, Lin Mo let out a blood-curdling scream.

A real scream. Bai Xiao’s eardrums almost burst.

【Stop screaming! You’ll bring people here!】

【It’s already bad enough that we’re out here stealing loquats in the middle of the night. If people come and see us like this, how would it look?!】

To outsiders, it would probably look like they were sneaking around having an affair.

Meanwhile, Liu Hanlin and his household were heading this way, just in time to hear that scream.

His legs went weak and he nearly collapsed on the spot.

How could this be! There really was a scream!

Everyone present turned pale. They had always said they didn’t believe in ghosts, but in their hearts, they were terrified.

You don’t have to believe, but you must respect. Not believing normally is fine—but if you really ran into one, then it’d be too late.

Madam Liu’s lips trembled as she whispered: “Master, what should we do! Could it really be Concubine Shan and that child coming back? We never treated her badly. If you hadn’t taken her in, she probably would’ve died already. No one could’ve predicted the difficult birth back then!”

Madam Liu was a traditional woman. She accepted her husband taking concubines, and always treated the concubines and their children properly. To her, those children were useful.

If the sons passed the imperial exam, it helped the family; if the daughters married well, it strengthened ties.

Only disgraceful families would harm concubines or their children.

Liu Hanlin swallowed and said with a trembling voice: “Maybe her resentment hasn’t faded. Though we didn’t wrong her, she did die so young… We should invite a master to perform rites and deliver her spirit. And increase her offerings every year.”

Lin Mo and Bai Xiao had no idea their antics had terrified others so much.

Because they were caught as soon as they returned.

Looking at Lin Mo, who was standing all crooked, Minister Lin’s temples started throbbing again.

“Stand up straight! Look at your posture—can’t you even stand properly?!”

Lin Mo bit her lip, tried hard to straighten, but gave up the next moment.

Forget it, too painful.

【Xiao Bai! Think of something quick—it was your idea to sneak out for loquats!】

She kept winking at him. Bai Xiao swallowed nervously and said in a low voice: “Uh, Uncle Lin… she can’t stand straight, she sprained her waist.”

The Lin family: …

Madam Lin immediately sent for a doctor.

“Father, Mother, you can’t really blame us for sneaking out. We just didn’t have dinner, so we thought we’d find something to eat. You don’t know—at Hanlin Liu’s house, there’s a huge loquat tree, loaded with fruit!”

As she spoke, Lin Mo pulled out the loquats from her arms.

“So you two went out just to steal loquats?”

Minister Lin was speechless. Did they not feel a shred of shame?

“This can’t be called stealing! Their yard is abandoned. We only picked from that yard. How can picking in an abandoned yard be stealing?”

She nodded firmly while saying it, as if taking fruit from a neighbor’s neglected yard wasn’t theft at all.

Even Bai Xiao was speechless.

When it came to shamelessness, no one could beat her.

But compared to other troubles, picking some fruit from an abandoned yard wasn’t a big deal. Minister Lin just scolded them and let it go.

“Tomorrow morning, send someone to check whether they caused trouble at the Liu household.”

Those two couldn’t keep secrets anyway—whoever they mind-talked with could overhear—so it’d be easy to find out if they were discovered.

The next morning, Lin Mo was carried to court.

She had already taken leave, but Emperor Xuande, curious to see a spectacle after hearing she’d sprained her waist, insisted she be carried in.

【What is His Majesty thinking? I’m just a minor official who loafs around in court. Even if I never attend, nothing would change. Now I’m injured, and he still makes me come! Doesn’t he have any compassion?!】

Lin Mo was fuming. She had planned to rest today and eat the loquats she risked her waist to pick. She had only eaten one or two last night.

Bai Xiao, hiding in her little pocket, said: 【Maybe your emperor is used to seeing you every day. After all, the way you nod off in court is always fresh and entertaining—quite a spectacle.】

Lin Mo: …Was that polite?

Minister Lin and Lin Qi tried hard not to laugh.

That little system was getting funnier, but it was true—her ways of dozing off were surprisingly entertaining.

Every day she fell asleep in a new pose. To sleep standing and still make it look novel—she was truly talented.

“Oh my, why is Little Lin injured today? Minister Lin, surely you didn’t beat her? She’s so young, how could you be so harsh?”

“Exactly, exactly. Whose child doesn’t make trouble? Little Lin may be lively, but she’s a good kid.”

Since no one knew about the loquat incident, everyone assumed Minister Lin had beaten her.

Well, given her usual antics, the misunderstanding wasn’t too surprising.

Minister Lin’s face darkened: “I didn’t hit her—she twisted her waist herself.”

Did they take him for a brute? He was Minister of Rites, the very embodiment of etiquette! A gentleman uses words, not fists!

Lin Mo reclined on her chair, too tired to speak, but kept grumbling inwardly to Bai Xiao.

【Why do I feel like everyone’s faces show schadenfreude? Do they dislike me that much? Am I really so annoying?】

Surely not? She was practically invisible at court—other than snacking or napping, she hardly affected anyone.

Bai Xiao: 【They don’t hate you. They’re just teasing. Some officials like to poke fun at the young. But you’ve also achieved one of your dreams today.】

Lin Mo blinked: 【What dream?】Bai Xiao chuckled: 【To lie down in court! Even Prince Xin only wheels in on a chair. But you—lying flat at court? The first in history! Even emperors never lay down in court!】